Beg, Barter and Deal: An Introduction
Taking stock of Boston so far in the season, and starting our trade target series
With Tim Sheils (Twitter: @timsheilsnba)
Recommended Content
Reading
· Trade Talk: Knicks Forward Identified as Answer to Celtics ‘Biggest Problem’ (Heavy.com)
· Celtics’ Marcus Smart ‘very sore’ after suffering calf tear, still using crutches on Sunday (Boston.com)
· How good are the Boston Celtics at the quarter mark of the regular season? (CelticsBlog)
· Without Smart, Boston's Defense Will Be Tested Out West (Taylor Snow, Celtics.com)
· Two big or not two big: Daniel Theis and Robert Williams show chemistry against Lakers (CelticsBlog)
Audio and Video
· The Dunker Spot: All-Star talk and weekly observations (The Dunker Spot)
· Daily Podcast On The Boston Celtics With Rainin' J's (Locked On Celtics)
· CelticsPod: Kendrick Perkins Interview (CelticsPod on CelticsBlog)
· Discussing Kemba Walker's Play and Selecting Our NBA All-Star Teams (From the Rafters - Bannertown USA on Guy Boston Sports)
What’s On Tap?
After a deflating 96-95 loss against the Los Angeles Lakers, I figured it was time to do a bit of housekeeping and take stock of what we’ve seen so far from the Celtics. Overall, it wasn’t a poorly played game, but there were things that ended up costing Boston the game that added up. Whether it be the four points Boston gave to LA on accidental tip-ins on their own basket, or the whopping 7 turnovers they gave up in the 4th quarter. The brunt of the blame was not solely resting on Kemba Walker’s shoulders, but on the team as a whole. While Walker could (and needs to) perform better than 4 points on 1/12 shooting, he was not the sole reason for Boston falling short.
Most importantly, a one point loss to the reigning champs is proof that the Celtics are not as far away from being a true-blue contender as some may think. Leading into their matchup with Golden State on Tuesday, Boston was holding their own on both sides of the ball.
In terms of offensive output, Boston is middle of the pack, ranking 16th in scoring averaging 111.6 points per game. Despite their struggles, the Celtics are 8th in 3 point percentage at a clip of 37.7% from deep as a team. All in all, Boston has been solid, and that’s without considering all of their injuries that have plagued them, with Marcus Smart being the most recent victim of misfortune. With his absence, some of Boston’s shortcomings are sure to rear their ugly head, mainly tied to the Celtics lack of depth and consistency from their bench unit.
With Payton Pritchard still recovering and Marcus Smart now out for two to three weeks with a calf strain, the guard depth behind Kemba Walker is extremely thin. Their guard rotation without those key guys is Jeff Teague, Carsen Edwards and Tremont Waters. Teague has been an outright disappointment, Edwards has show some improvement but is still raw and undersized, and the same goes for Waters.
The stats haven’t necessarily been kind to the bench guards, as Boston ranks 20th in bench guard FG percentage (41.2%), 18th in 3P percentage (36.1%) and 19th in assists (5.2/game). The biggest red flag has been Boston’s terrible execution as a whole in the 2nd half (and specifically the 4th quarter), a habit that formed in the Bubble and has continued to haunt the squad.
In the 2nd half of games, Boston’s bench is ranked 29th in turnovers (3.8/game) and 19th in assists (3.6/game). The struggles don’t just stop with the bench, as issues with finishing games strong has been a widespread issue. As a team in the 2nd half, Boston is 29th in defensive rating (114.8), 27th for 2nd chance points allowed (7.4 pts/game) and 30th in fast break points allowed (7.6 points/game). To top it all off, the Celtics boast the 26th best net rating (-4.4) in the 2nd leg of games.
Quite simply put, Boston loses steam as games go on, and their inability to take care of possession leads to fast break chances for their opponents. The Celtics fail to play good transition defense and struggle to consistently get good positioning, and Coach Brad Stevens doesn’t have the ability to turn to stable options on the bench for scoring or playmaking. Overall, turnovers and lack of assists have killed Boston throughout games, with Boston ranking 23rd in turnovers/game (15.1) and 25th in assists/game (22.8). However I do believe there is a path for Boston to fix some of these issues.
It’s simple: Boston must make some moves that bring in at least one additional playmaker and scorer. Boston’s signing of Jeff Teague hasn’t gone as well as planned, Aaron Nesmith has to walk before he can run, and with the injuries Boston has dealt with so far, a few more capable bodies getting thrown into the mix would do wonders for their depth and help manage fatigue as the season chugs along.
This is the opportune moment for Danny Ainge to let it loose, put his airpods in, reach for a cold refreshing can of Moxy, and start making some calls around the league to see who’s available. Even without a lottery pick or tantalizing Grizzlies/Nets/Kings future first rounder to dangle, the trade landscape for Boston may be the most promising it’s been in years. Just look around at how many teams don’t have their own first rounders this season, or better yet, look a few years down the line. Here’s a list of teams that have their own unconditional first round pick through 2027:
Celtics
Hawks
Hornets
Bulls
Cavs
Pacers
Magic
Kings
Spurs
Raptors
Grizzlies
Knicks
Annnnndddd that’s it. Feel free to peruse the future picks of other teams here. It’s not pretty, especially after the Clippers, Lakers, Rockets, Wizards, Thunder and Suns have all made a slew of trades over the last few years. But, the point is, Boston is one of few playoff teams (let alone contending teams) capable of moving their own picks without complications or strings attached over the next 5+ years. Tack on three trade exceptions of $2.5 Million, $5 Million, and $28.5 Million, and Boston is suddenly in a very good position considering they lost a max contract wing this offseason.
I will be covering potential trade targets in four tiers based on the financial cost (both current and future), difficulty, and likelihood of them being acquired by Boston before the deadline, and for sake of our collective sanity, I won’t be cramming them all into one post (because where’s the fun in that?). Be on the lookout as these roll out, as I’ll be updating them with any potential news that drops along the way. With the trade deadline on March 25th at 3PM, expect news to trickle out slowly. Honestly, the deadline is one of my favorite parts of the season, so much chaos and so many things could happen…oh, the possibilities!
Personal Musings
Outside of getting buried in about two feet of snow, nothing too crazy has been happening, fortunately. On the personal front, I do have some good news. I wanted to wait to put it out there, but I have been accepted as an intern for CLNS Media, where I’ll be working on Celtics coverage behind the scenes and learning some tricks of the trade. I’m very excited and grateful for the opportunity, and I look forward to the growth and connections that come with it.
Opportunities to expand on what I’ve learned are sure to come with their own challenges, but I’m honestly glad to even be present and have the chance to do so. Even if things are confusing at first or take some adjusting, as long as I’m learning and improving that’s all that matters to me. It would be a lot easier to take my foot off the gas and relax a bit, but in my opinion there is no real growth through comfort. Onwards and upwards is the best path towards my goal, so I have to step up for that to become possible. Hang in there folks, and I hope things are going well for you all!