Choose Your Own Adventure: Celtics 2020 Offseason

[BigSoxFan]

Purpose of this thread is pretty simple. The Celtics have 2 young foundational stars in Tatum and Jaylen who are here for the long haul. They have another "glue" guy in Smart who is unlikely to be dealt. After that, you have a bunch of guys who all have varying levels of value and contract sizes. So, if you're Danny this offseason, what is your plan of attack?

I think we all correctly assume that Hayward is back for another year after he picks up his option. You have young players in Williams, Time Lord, and Langford who are easily movable. You have #14, #26, #30, and #47 in this draft. You have all of the Celtics' future picks.

What is your plan and what players around the league are you looking at (please be realistic and not WEEI caller level wish casting)?

The potential options are pretty diverse. You can pretty much run it back with small tweaks to the roster. You can look to move Hayward with a pick or young asset to really shake things up. You can try to move Kemba for an equally crappy contract or attach picks/assets to get a lesser crappy deal.

 

[CapeCodYaz]

Purpose of this thread is pretty simple. The Celtics have 2 young foundational stars in Tatum and Jaylen who are here for the long haul. They have another "glue" guy in Smart who is unlikely to be dealt. After that, you have a bunch of guys who all have varying levels of value and contract sizes. So, if you're Danny this offseason, what is your plan of attack?

I think we all correctly assume that Hayward is back for another year after he picks up his option. You have young players in Williams, Time Lord, and Langford who are easily movable. You have #14, #26, #30, and #47 in this draft. You have all of the Celtics' future picks.

What is your plan and what players around the league are you looking at (please be realistic and not WEEI caller level wish casting)?

The potential options are pretty diverse. You can pretty much run it back with small tweaks to the roster. You can look to move Hayward with a pick or young asset to really shake things up. You can try to move Kemba for an equally crappy contract or attach picks/assets to get a lesser crappy deal.

Ideally I'd like to see a full year of everyone healthy though I know that is not realistic. They need a veteran power forward off the bench that can score and play d and need a backup point guard. I kind of think they need Kantor or someone like him--when he was in Bam became invisible because he was forced to play D again a real big center and he really wasn't good at it. And if the Celts go against a team like the Lakers with a Davis and James who plays big you need a big guy t neutralize Davis. Williams seems like he has potential but

 

[DJnVa]

Run it back with tinkering around the edges.

--JT and JB have shown that they can make huge offseason strides. Keep that going.
--The postseason anti-Kemba contingent makes me angry (not saying this is you). Kemba is the perfect deferential PG for JT and JT that has the skills to take over portions of the game on off-chance both are having off-nights. You're going to have to show me your work on how to get a better PG for them, not just wish we had one.
--A healthy and Gordon Hayward, We can say he's injury prone and I guess he might be. But the leg break and the postseason injury this year come from nothing more than bad luck.
--Timelord needs to spend the next few months with JB.
--Grant needs an offseason of work, and I have no doubt that happens.

 

[Cellar-Door]

It's going to be really difficult to plan anything out until there is a salary cap number, plus tax aprons.

I think what we can pretty easily do is look at what the team needs/wants to do:

1. Consolidate the big man rotation by getting 1 guy who can fill the roles that 2 are doing now. The Celtics used a lot of mediocre bigs for different matchups, and the season ended because none of them could do anything with Adebayo.

2. Add shooting off the bench. Some of the weakness here was Hayward being hurt, but some of it wasn't.

3. Figure out how to make the roster fit (three 1sts coming in, plus 2 way guys.... roster crunch.


Without knowing the cap or what trades are out there, hard to gauge.

I'd keep an eye on these guys for the MLE though depending on other things:

Noel, WCS, Tristan Thompson, Baynes, Clarkson, Joe Harris, Giles, Teague, Neto.

On the trade front, I don't see a fit for the guys most likely to move (Oladipo, CP3) ... I'd keep an eye on Myles Turner, Gobert, Valancunias, Kennard, Reddick

 

[NomarsFool]

I don't think Smart is untouchable. I know he's a glue guy, and brings a lot to the table. But, at the same time, he is one of the few actually tradeable assets the team has. I'm not at all advocating dumping him, but in the right trade I could see him getting moved.

 

[BigSoxFan]

Run it back with tinkering around the edges.

--JT and JB have shown that they can make huge offseason strides. Keep that going.
--The postseason anti-Kemba contingent makes me angry (not saying this is you). Kemba is the perfect deferential PG for JT and JT that has the skills to take over portions of the game on off-chance both are having off-nights. You're going to have to show me your work on how to get a better PG for them, not just wish we had one.
--A healthy and Gordon Hayward, We can say he's injury prone and I guess he might be. But the leg break and the postseason injury this year come from nothing more than bad luck.
--Timelord needs to spend the next few months with JB.
--Grant needs an offseason of work, and I have no doubt that happens.

I'm definitely not anti-Kemba but I have real concerns about his next 3 years. The history of small guards after 30 is oft-cited but it's real. And now he has knee problems to boot that may or may not be long-term. There obviously isn't too much to do at this point since his contract makes him almost completely unmovable and the Celtics are unlikely to find anyone better but we now probably need to load manage not one but 2 $34M+ guys next year. And that just sucks. The good news is that the need for mid-20s Kemba diminishes over time as Tatum and Brown get better but sucks that he was hurt in a year when an NBA Finals appearance was there for the taking.

Kira Lewis is a guy who I'd consider at #14 if some of the other targets (Bey, Nesmith, etc.) are no longer there. We need a long-term solution at PG and we may need it sooner rather than later.

 

[DJnVa]

Important to remember:

But zooming out, we have to remember the Celtics came into this season as the least experienced team in the NBA. Their average age is 24.3, a tick younger than the rebuilding Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Pelicans.

Now, that's different than youngest, but it's meaningful.

1. Boston Celtics (2.73)
2. Phoenix Suns (2.80)
3. Chicago Bulls (3.07)
4. Minnesota Timberwolves (3.40)
5. Indiana Pacers (3.53)

This season happened because JT and JB got *so good, so fast*.

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2020/09/boston-celtics-showed-immediate-payoff-promise-of-a-very-bright-future-john-karalis.html

 

[Cellar-Door]

I don't think Smart is untouchable. I know he's a glue guy, and brings a lot to the table. But, at the same time, he is one of the few actually tradeable assets the team has. I'm not at all advocating dumping him, but in the right trade I could see him getting moved.

To me I think the issue is... what deal would that be? He's a DPOY candidate who is integral to running the defense we want to run in many ways. He brings solid shooting and ballhandling to the bench, and he has shown no indication of agitating for a different role. I think the pool of players he is worth moving for is very very small, and it's mostly All-NBA players.

 

[scottyno]

I almost think the Cs need to talk to hayward about getting him to opt out and then resign for several years at a slight discount, maybe something like 2-50 or 3-70.

They probably can't trade him right now for anything they'd actually want. If he's good next year then they can't trade him midseason, and then they potentially lose him and his salary slot for nothing. If he's bad next year then no one is going to give them anything worthwhile in a trade. If they extend him it doesn't mean they can't eventually trade him, but it means they can't lose him for nothing, which would be really bad.

 

[EL Jeffe]

It's going to be really difficult to plan anything out until there is a salary cap number, plus tax aprons.

I think what we can pretty easily do is look at what the team needs/wants to do:

1. Consolidate the big man rotation by getting 1 guy who can fill the roles that 2 are doing now. The Celtics used a lot of mediocre bigs for different matchups, and the season ended because none of them could do anything with Adebayo.

2. Add shooting off the bench. Some of the weakness here was Hayward being hurt, but some of it wasn't.

3. Figure out how to make the roster fit (three 1sts coming in, plus 2 way guys.... roster crunch.


Without knowing the cap or what trades are out there, hard to gauge.

I'd keep an eye on these guys for the MLE though depending on other things:

Noel, WCS, Tristan Thompson, Baynes, Clarkson, Joe Harris, Giles, Teague, Neto.

On the trade front, I don't see a fit for the guys most likely to move (Oladipo, CP3) ... I'd keep an eye on Myles Turner, Gobert, Valancunias, Kennard, Reddick

Joe Harris would be a REALLY nice fit for Boston, but I think he winds up getting more than the MLE.

 

[ehaz]

What about Buddy Hield who appears on his way out of SAC? You’d need to send out Hayward to make it work, and in a vacuum, Hayward is still a better player, but I agree with others that this team really needs a true high volume 3 point threat. He’s 27, cheaper, and comes without all the injury concerns.

I guess it depends what else you’d have to give up (a ton of firsts?) but maybe worth exploring.

On another note, I’ve been hearing a lot about Myles Turner, but what would it take to get Sabonis? I’m probably just wishcasting for an awkward looking European point center after watching Jokic, but Sabonis sure is fun to watch.

 

[Average Game James]

It's going to be really difficult to plan anything out until there is a salary cap number, plus tax aprons.

I think what we can pretty easily do is look at what the team needs/wants to do:

1. Consolidate the big man rotation by getting 1 guy who can fill the roles that 2 are doing now. The Celtics used a lot of mediocre bigs for different matchups, and the season ended because none of them could do anything with Adebayo.

2. Add shooting off the bench. Some of the weakness here was Hayward being hurt, but some of it wasn't.

3. Figure out how to make the roster fit (three 1sts coming in, plus 2 way guys.... roster crunch.


Without knowing the cap or what trades are out there, hard to gauge.

I'd keep an eye on these guys for the MLE though depending on other things:

Noel, WCS, Tristan Thompson, Baynes, Clarkson, Joe Harris, Giles, Teague, Neto.

On the trade front, I don't see a fit for the guys most likely to move (Oladipo, CP3) ... I'd keep an eye on Myles Turner, Gobert, Valancunias, Kennard, Reddick

Number 1 sounds great in theory, but the list of guys that fit that description is both short and likely expensive to acquire. Theis is far from an all-star, but he was second among centers in DRPM and plays well within the system. I think he's harder to upgrade on than you think. It's unrealistic to expect a rookie big to come in an be an immediate upgrade, and the list of guys that would potentially sign for the MLE isn't littered with starting centers. Maybe a trade centered around Hayward and Myles Turner could work? Need to play around with the trade machine later...

Shooting off the bench feels like the easiest spot to upgrade in the draft - I'm not super well versed in this year's draft pool, but looks like Saddiq Bey, Aaron NeSmith, and Josh Green are among a handful of good 3 & D guys that could be available at 14.

 

[BigSoxFan]

What about Buddy Hield who appears on his way out of SAC? You’d need to send out Hayward to make it work, and in a vacuum, Hayward is still a better player, but I agree with others that this team really needs a true high volume 3 point threat. He’s 27, cheaper, and comes without all the injury concerns.

I guess it depends what else you’d have to give up (a ton of firsts?) but maybe worth exploring.

On another note, I’ve been hearing a lot about Myles Turner, but what would it take to get Sabonis? I’m probably just wishcasting for an awkward looking European point center after watching Jokic, but Sabonis sure is fun to watch.

I love Hield and think he would be a great fit but he's making $20M+ and I don't think we can support that salary slot beyond this year given Tatum's new deal, Jaylen, and Kemba. My guess is Ainge looks for cheap shooting options in the draft and maybe a vet MLE.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

I don't think Smart is untouchable. I know he's a glue guy, and brings a lot to the table. But, at the same time, he is one of the few actually tradeable assets the team has. I'm not at all advocating dumping him, but in the right trade I could see him getting moved.

What is the "right" trade for Smart?

Its arguable that he is the second best player overall on this team using player impact metrics like PIPM or RAPM (as JakeRae points out, the advanced metrics reflect poorly on Brown as a team defender amongst other aspects). Based on the criticism of his shot choices/situations, I suspect some folks here don't buy that and that's reasonable.

That said, trading an elite defender on a good contract who can credibly guard all five spots on the floor as well as a very good playmaker and ~league-average shooter to upgrade carries a lot of risks. Most other NBA players take bad shots and miss too, even in playoff games and there are other issues like fit etc. where even well prepared teams make bad bets (see Irving, Kyrie).

In short, be careful what you wish for. Smart isn't untouchable as you note but I can't seem him being moved alone unless there are deeper issues between him and others on the roster. On the other hand, if by right deal, you mean a blockbuster, that seems more plausible.

 

[BigSoxFan]

What is the "right" trade for Smart?

Its arguable that he is the second best player overall on this team using player impact metrics like PIPM or RAPM (as JakeRae points out, the advanced metrics reflect poorly on Brown as a team defender amongst other aspects). Based on the criticism of his shot choices/situations, I suspect some folks here don't buy that and that's reasonable.

That said, trading an elite defender on a good contract who can credibly guard all five spots on the floor as well as a very good playmaker and ~league-average shooter to upgrade carries a lot of risks. Most other NBA players take bad shots and miss too, even in playoff games and there are other issues like fit etc. where even well prepared teams make bad bets (see Irving, Kyrie).

In short, be careful what you wish for. Smart isn't untouchable as you note but I can't seem him being moved alone unless there are deeper issues between him and others on the roster. On the other hand, if by right deal, you mean a blockbuster, that seems more plausible.

Yeah, I'm a full Smart convert. Most of the time when "bad" Smart shows up, it's because our key guys aren't doing anything either and he forces the issue. I expect "bad" Smart to show up less and less as Tatum/Brown continue their ascendance to the throne. As for what you'd be looking to get back for him in a deal, I think we can throw out a big because we won't make that trade so it would have to be another wing who can play with the Jay's and give Brad even more switchability. But that player is obviously hard to find.

Bottom line is that I don't think there is a single Smart trade that makes us better.

 

[Jed Zeppelin]

The good news is that the most likely option still keeps them in the upper echelon of the East and in legitimate contention with better injury luck and improvements in the right places. The most likely option being to run it back, see big improvement from the Williams in Year 2/3, and pull in some vet talent to support the youth. And hitting the rare mid-round HR in the draft, of course.

My biggest concern is how you manage Hayward’s salary slot moving forward, and whether or not we can prepare to bring in another superstar during the Jays’ prime seasons without gutting the roster and still competing. They are so close now, but I don’t want to look back in four years and realize we missed a massive level-up because we moved Hayward for a longer-term salary that hamstrings us when Tatum/Brown are mid-20s studs just needing the right 3rd big money player to bring it home.

Ainge is good at long-term thinking given his job security, so I do have some confidence. It’s a delicate dance, though. You have to make sure the team is good enough to keep Tatum here but flexible enough to bring in a shiny new toy if that’s what it will take to keep him here. Huge leaps from the Williams and Romeo would go a long way to easing some of the financial concerns.

 

[Saints Rest]

I don’t see the Celts trading Marcus. It seems like Ainge/Stevens put a ton of emphasis on D — based on their drafting of both Williams and Langford. Smart is the key to that defense as he can guard so many guys from Lowry to Adebayo. And in many cases, shut them down. All the other defense revolves around him.

 

[PC Drunken Friar]

Joe Harris would be a REALLY nice fit for Boston, but I think he winds up getting more than the MLE.

Holy shit did two teams miss on him badly. Is there an explanation on why he was getting less than 10 MPG and then DNP with Cleveland? He had surgery in January of 2016 but had only played in 5 games. Traded to Orlando and immediately waived (though he was supposed to be out the rest of the year...was he an expiring contract?). Then in July of 2016, signed a 2 year/ 16 million dollar contract with Brooklyn.

 

[NomarsFool]

I think I'd trade Smart for a good big and trust that I can find another 3&D wing/small guard in the draft.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

I think I'd trade Smart for a good big and trust that I can find another 3&D wing/small guard in the draft.

So you just want Smart gone then? Who are the good bigs and 3&D wings/smalls in the draft? And how does this work with the salary cap?

 

[Cellar-Door]

I almost think the Cs need to talk to hayward about getting him to opt out and then resign for several years at a slight discount, maybe something like 2-50 or 3-70.

They probably can't trade him right now for anything they'd actually want. If he's good next year then they can't trade him midseason, and then they potentially lose him and his salary slot for nothing. If he's bad next year then no one is going to give them anything worthwhile in a trade. If they extend him it doesn't mean they can't eventually trade him, but it means they can't lose him for nothing, which would be really bad.

I don't think you want Hayward locked in long term given the salary situation, injuries etc. I think you roll with him for a half season then make your decision then. You can always re-sign him with Bird rights if you want, let him walk or trade him at the deadline.

Joe Harris would be a REALLY nice fit for Boston, but I think he winds up getting more than the MLE.

Yeah I almost left him off because I assume that, but if the cap is way down.....

What about Buddy Hield who appears on his way out of SAC? You’d need to send out Hayward to make it work, and in a vacuum, Hayward is still a better player, but I agree with others that this team really needs a true high volume 3 point threat. He’s 27, cheaper, and comes without all the injury concerns.

Beyond what you have to give up (probably Hayward to salary match) he's on his way out in part because he is unhappy with the idea of being a 6th man and wants a trade to a team he will start for, he's not starting here.

Number 1 sounds great in theory, but the list of guys that fit that description is both short and likely expensive to acquire. Theis is far from an all-star, but he was second among centers in DRPM and plays well within the system. I think he's harder to upgrade on than you think. It's unrealistic to expect a rookie big to come in an be an immediate upgrade, and the list of guys that would potentially sign for the MLE isn't littered with starting centers. Maybe a trade centered around Hayward and Myles Turner could work? Need to play around with the trade machine later...

Shooting off the bench feels like the easiest spot to upgrade in the draft - I'm not super well versed in this year's draft pool, but looks like Saddiq Bey, Aaron NeSmith, and Josh Green are among a handful of good 3 & D guys that could be available at 14.

Consolidating the big rotation doesn't necessarily mean replacing Theis. It's really more about getting a big who provides you some combination of the Williams' and Kanter. Right now we have 4 bigs, all with different strengths and weaknesses, we could really use to be in a situation where we have 2 bigs (Theis and a new addition) that we can trust in almost all matchups. It likely is a trade issue though.

I think I'd trade Smart for a good big and trust that I can find another 3&D wing/small guard in the draft.

I'd love to know what big.... I mean Rudy Gobert or Myles Turner... sure. But you aren't replacing Smart in the draft in all likelihood. He went top 5 for a reason, he's legitimately the best defender under 6'8" in the league, and developed into an above average 3pt shooter.

 

[ElcaballitoMVP]

I think I'd trade Smart for a good big and trust that I can find another 3&D wing/small guard in the draft.

Well that sounds good in theory. Got any ideas who they'd target in either area?

To me, Smart isn't untouchable, but it's tough finding a match. Who's going to want him? A team ready to win a title now. Smart only has 2 years left on his deal, so cross off rebuilding teams. I'm not aware of any contenders with extra good young big men sitting around that they're giving up for Smart. Then you've got to match salaries, so you'd likely have to add someone with this good young big that we'd have to make room for. And again, likely not a key piece if it's coming from a contender.

I'm just not sure how a Smart trade makes us better, but I'm listening.

 

[chilidawg]

I think I'd trade Smart for a good big and trust that I can find another 3&D wing/small guard in the draft.

One who would be the emotional leader of this team? Because I think what Smart brings there is something this team certainly doesn't have too much of.

 

[Jimbodandy]

Yeah, I'm a full Smart convert. Most of the time when "bad" Smart shows up, it's because our key guys aren't doing anything either and he forces the issue. I expect "bad" Smart to show up less and less as Tatum/Brown continue their ascendance to the throne. As for what you'd be looking to get back for him in a deal, I think we can throw out a big because we won't make that trade so it would have to be another wing who can play with the Jay's and give Brad even more switchability. But that player is obviously hard to find.

Bottom line is that I don't think there is a single Smart trade that makes us better.

Yes, 1000% this.

 

[luckiestman]

JT, JB, and Smart are my guys. The rest are situational.

Kemba seems like a great guy, but if this is who he is now, it’s an awful contract.

For Hayward and Kemba, the issues are medical. If they can play, run it back and hope we have better injury luck and Tatum keeps developing.

The other stuff is peripheral, need 7 or 8 guys in the playoffs. Can TL get better, is Romeo a pro, can we get a sniper somehow, is there a DT upgrade.

edit: oh yeah, I used to say this about Tatum regarding AD rumors but I rest my case on that; so now I will transfer it to my other guy: YOU NEVER TRADE MARCUS SMART.

 

[slamminsammya]

JT, JB, and Smart are my guys. The rest are situational.

Kemba seems like a great guy, but if this is who he is now, it’s an awful contract.

For Hayward and Kemba, the issues are medical. If they can play, run it back and hope we have better injury luck and Tatum keeps developing.

The other stuff is peripheral, need 7 or 8 guys in the playoffs. Can TL get better, is Romeo a pro, can we get a sniper somehow, is there a DT upgrade.

edit: oh yeah, I used to say this about Tatum regarding AD rumors but I rest my case on that; so now I will transfer it to my other guy: YOU NEVER TRADE MARCUS SMART.

I love this.

Can't wait to see if Romeo can play. It will be an odd regular season next year since they probably should be giving significant developmental minutes to TL, Romeo, and Granite. Not sure how any of the guys they draft this year will see the floor.

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

I love this.

Can't wait to see if Romeo can play. It will be an odd regular season next year since they probably should be giving significant developmental minutes to TL, Romeo, and Granite. Not sure how any of the guys they draft this year will see the floor.

The one who is the marksman will

 

[Reardon's Beard]

Health, shooter off bench, veteran player.

Might see the shooter develop in house but still need a veteran on this roster.

 

[chilidawg]

Health, shooter off bench, veteran player.

Might see the shooter develop in house but still need a veteran on this roster.

s
They sure looked like they need a veteran, but they've got Kemba and Hayward, plus neither Smart or Theis is what you'd consider young. So what they need is a real veteran leader, Igoudala-ish, and I don't think there are many of those around.

 

[mikeford]

I don't see how you can possibly even spitball trading Marcus Smart. He's not the glue guy. He's the leader. It's his team. You can say whatever you want about who the best player on the team is but it's Smart's team. He's the guy yelling at people to pick it up and hold people accountable and demand better of them and I do not think this is role is something Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown is going to be taking on.

 

[sox311]

Health is number one. Number two is Danny having a long heart to heart with Brad about holding people accountable, sticking up for his players to the refs, and some serious plans on how to adjust to in game play. Ending that conversation by saying "if this happens again next year, it won't be the same conversation, you can go coach college again if you wish."

Number three is a backup point guard, four is drafting big wings who can shoot rather than undersized point/shooting guards if we keep the picks. (hopefully we don't) Time to have bench vets rather than lottery tickets.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Health is number one. Number two is Danny having a long heart to heart with Brad about holding people accountable, sticking up for his players to the refs, and some serious plans on how to adjust to in game play. Ending that conversation by saying "if this happens again next year, it won't be the same conversation, you can go coach college again if you wish."

Have you seen any reports that Ainge has concerns about Stevens not doing those things? Do we know that Stevens doesn't do those things? And if so, please share.

Regardless of what we or even the Celtics front office thinks of Stevens (and again it seems like they value him very highly) he would likely be unemployed at the professional level for about a cocaine heartbeat. Were he on the market today right after this past series, he would likely be the number one candidate for any open (and perhaps not yet open) NBA jobs unless the stars don't want him.

Brad Stevens isn't the best basketball coach ever, he isn't a genius and he may not win a championship. However I wonder how anyone can say how effective a player advocate he is or whether this matters or is yet another relic from a simpler time when the league dynamics were a lot different. Are people really able to get an accurate read from random camera shots. Or is there another source of information?

 

[reggiecleveland]

I think I'd trade Smart for a good big and trust that I can find another 3&D wing/small guard in the draft.

1. Smart is an elite defender. I don't recall a color guy from the bubble that did have all D 1st team, several think he is DPOY candidate.
2. A draft pick will be, at best, 2-3 years away from being your stopper.

 

[Devizier]

Guessing that Bertans will be too expensive for the Celtics to sign with their exemptions.

Dealing with Sacramento for Bjelica might be a way to get a shooter on the bench. He's older and only has one year left on his contract. Kanter matches (if he opts in). Obviously a draft pick would have to go the other way.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

I think the main thing the Celtics need is depth. Improvement from JT, JB, and Marcus is likely. Kemba will probably be fine but is more of a workload management guy at this point.

Are the Celtics at the point yet where aging veterans who still have a little something left in the tank will come for cheap? Who is out there in that category that might be useful?

 

[CoffeeNerdness]

Have you seen any reports that Ainge has concerns about Stevens not doing those things? Do we know that Stevens doesn't do those things? And if so, please share.

The likelihood that internal management critiques ever get reported in the media are slim and none, imo. I do think it's safe to assume that Danny provides feedback to Brad, and not all of it is positive. Everyone is accountable and everyone in the organization should look to improve on weaknesses. That said, Brad obviously sticks up for his players with the refs. He just doesn't do it like Nick Nurse in an overt and over-the-top manner, which, much like JD Drew's casual manner, is a sign of a lack of passion to many people. The idea that Brad is going to flip a switch and adopt a different personality is honestly pretty funny. It ain't happening. As for the end of the games, it's up to the players to execute. If they get tight, lose focus, and stop running the offense, that's on them, not Brad.

 

[lexrageorge]

Mayor Stevens is going nowhere. At the start of the season, most people thought the team would be in the second tier of Eastern Conference teams, behind Philly, Milwaukee and Toronto. The Celtics were better than 2 of those teams this season, and went further than all 3. About the only way his seat gets warm is if the team disappoints next year and is broomed out in an early round of the 2021 playoffs. Or if Tatum goes into Ainge's office and tells him that there's no way he'll sign an extension if Stevens is coach.

Speaking of which, Danny's first priority is to get Tatum signed to a designated rookie extension. It shouldn't be hard: there is no reason for the team to offer less than the 30% max, and there is no reason for Tatum to decline it.

Second priority is to get Kemba healthy. There is zero need to rush him back for the start of the season. If he needs surgery, let him get it now rather than wait. If it's a rest and rehab situation, then be as cautious and deliberate as possible. It's not a "disaster" if he needs to sit out until 3/1 to fully recover.

Draft for need, and get a shooter at 14 that can contribute off the bench this season. I'll let the draftniks throw names around.

Bring Aron Baynes back; allows Theis to join the Williams's in the rotation. I assume both Kanter and Poirier are gone. Hope that the two Williams's improve.

Find a trade partner willing to take Green, Edwards, and some of this year's draft picks for future considerations. Groom Waters to take the Wannamaker role next season. Assume that anything they get from Langford in 2021 is an unexpected treat. He and R Williams should be trade bait if the right offer comes around.

Assuming Hayward opts in, hang on to him, and use him as a trade piece at the deadline if necessary.

 

[Pablo's TB Lover]

Run it back with tinkering around the edges.

--JT and JB have shown that they can make huge offseason strides. Keep that going.
--The postseason anti-Kemba contingent makes me angry (not saying this is you). Kemba is the perfect deferential PG for JT and JT that has the skills to take over portions of the game on off-chance both are having off-nights. You're going to have to show me your work on how to get a better PG for them, not just wish we had one.
--A healthy and Gordon Hayward, We can say he's injury prone and I guess he might be. But the leg break and the postseason injury this year come from nothing more than bad luck.
--Timelord needs to spend the next few months with JB.
--Grant needs an offseason of work, and I have no doubt that happens.

This is more or less where I'm at.

I don't think Smart is untouchable. I know he's a glue guy, and brings a lot to the table. But, at the same time, he is one of the few actually tradeable assets the team has. I'm not at all advocating dumping him, but in the right trade I could see him getting moved.

No player is untouchable, but I don't see a remote chance of a trade that makes me want to move Smart. Outside of his obvious defensive abilities and improved 3-point shooting (down a little this year but also on 2.3 more attempts/game so understandable), who is your alpha in the Toronto and Miami series to try and step up and keep the team fighting when Tatum and Kemba are cold shooting-wise and getting down. Brown has the tools of a great leader but my sense is this is more on an understated level during game action, it seems he does his best work before/after and between games. While Kyrie took all the blame for the team folding like a cheap suit in the 2019 Bucks series, there were a lot of other guys who were moping around going through the motions. I feel Kemba and Smart have a nice "good cop/bad cop" setup leading the team from the backcourt.

I almost think the Cs need to talk to hayward about getting him to opt out and then resign for several years at a slight discount, maybe something like 2-50 or 3-70.

They probably can't trade him right now for anything they'd actually want. If he's good next year then they can't trade him midseason, and then they potentially lose him and his salary slot for nothing. If he's bad next year then no one is going to give them anything worthwhile in a trade. If they extend him it doesn't mean they can't eventually trade him, but it means they can't lose him for nothing, which would be really bad.

I would think they'd need to stretch it out some distance, unless Hayward is really on the "Celtics for life" bandwagon or very negative about his future injury prospects. But if they could somehow stretch him to at/below $20 mil/year in 2021-22 they could be looking at a max Tatum, Kemba, Brown, Smart and him at around 80% of the cap, Romeo and the Williams "brothers" still at low numbers, and actually having some space available to fill in the margins. But any stretch of the Hayward contract for next season only decreases the real money paid out, it doesn't create any cap space for this offseason.

But this all assumes the top point, which practically-speaking I'd more or less run it back but that is not Danny Ainge's typical M.O., so I'm interested to see his approach.

 

[DJnVa]

There really wasn't *that* much difference between regular season Kemba and playoff Kemba. We are swayed by bad games which are of outsized importance in the postseason. He simply didn't knock down his threes in bubble. That sucks, but it was a 17 game sample, shit happens. I can't see his contract being a disaster when he was basically what we expected, with a downtick in counting stats because he had a shit ton more talent around him than in Charlotte. His per/36 numbers this year were pretty much in line with Charlotte.

Regular season per/36: 23.7/4.5/5.5, 42% from floor, 38% from three
Playoffs per/36: 19.1/4.0/4.9, 44% from floor, 31% from three

If his contract is a disaster, I'd have to wonder what you were expecting from him.

 

[Devizier]

Perusing the free agency list, it's pretty thin. Lots of player option guys and then some RFAs like Saric, Dunn, and Bogdanovich (SAC).

Of the UFAs, I'm ruling out the following guys as too expensive: Gallinari, Dragic, Bertans, Wood, Harris, Whiteside, Clarkson.

Maybe I could see the Celtics swinging a deal with Derrick Favors, Jacob Poetl, or Justin Holliday. Or a reunion with Baynes. Crowder ain't coming back.

Maybe a reclamation investment on an old draft binky like Josh Jackson (a la Evan Turner all those years ago; another UFA).

Noel and Cauley-Stein are available, which would make the Port Cellar happy.

As for old veteran ring chasers: Teague, Augustin, Korver, and then umm.. Cousins, Howard, and Anthony?

Really looks like the Celtics are just going to run it back.

 

[Sam Ray Not]

Perusing the free agency list, it's pretty thin. Lots of player option guys and then some RFAs like Saric, Dunn, and Bogdanovich (SAC).

Of the UFAs, I'm ruling out the following guys as too expensive: Gallinari, Dragic, Bertans, Wood, Harris, Whiteside, Clarkson.

Maybe I could see the Celtics swinging a deal with Derrick Favors, Jacob Poetl, or Justin Holliday. Or a reunion with Baynes. Crowder ain't coming back.

Maybe a reclamation investment on an old draft binky like Josh Jackson (a la Evan Turner all those years ago; another UFA).

Noel and Cauley-Stein are available, which would make the Port Cellar happy.

As for old veteran ring chasers: Teague, Augustin, Korver, and then umm.. Cousins, Howard, and Anthony?

Really looks like the Celtics are just going to run it back.

Derrick Favors is a UFA who probably won’t get more than the MLE. Ditto Marc Gasol.

Cousins or Howard in Boston could be ... interesting?

 

[chilidawg]

Jared Weiss of the Athletic weighs in. 1. Build a crunch time offense around the Jays, in particular get JB more involved. 2. Promote the Willamses. 3. "Smarter" play, more consistent from Marcus.

Holding players accountable for "playing Celtic basketball" has to be a point of emphasis for Brad. Just too many breakdowns in crunch time, both in the Toronto series and against the Heat.

https://theathletic.com/2101049/2020/09/29/what-celtics-learned-about-themselves-in-playoffs/

 

[OurF'ingCity]

Holding players accountable for "playing Celtic basketball" has to be a point of emphasis for Brad. Just too many breakdowns in crunch time, both in the Toronto series and against the Heat.

I agree with the principle but the tricky part is what does "holding players accountable" mean? If that means yelling at them in the postgame locker room that's just not Stevens' demeanor and if he tried to throw a Bob Knight-style hissy fit he'd probably be more comical than imposing. If that means benching players if they don't take good shots or whatever, for obvious reasons you can't do that in the playoffs really at all, and even in the regular season you risk just alienating the player if you do that. So you're left with trying to emphasize these things in practice, calling players out during film sessions, etc., which I virtually guarantee you Stevens and his staff do already.

I think the more pressing question is whether there is something Stevens can do scheme-wise to limit these types of breakdowns. Maybe you employ more zone concepts when up big to try to bait a team into taking low-percentage outside shots. Maybe you do a little bit less switching and try to go over picks more often or playing a more aggressive man or doubling scheme to tire out the losing team's ballhandlers and force more turnovers that kill a comeback. On offense, I'd certainly like to see a little bit more motion, more drive-and-dish, etc. late in games, which has the added benefit of burning more time when up big - some of that is on Stevens for calling those types of plays and some of it is on the players for executing them properly and not bailing out into iso-ball.

I'm not well-versed enough in NBA tactics to be able to precisely figure out what types of adjustments can be made, but the point is that is where Stevens can and must improve, not in vague things like "holding players accountable" or "working the refs more." I don't think there's any question that, scheme-wise, Stevens was rather badly outcoached by Spoelstra in the last series and seemed to struggle to come up with counteradjustments against some of Nurse's moves as well in the Toronto series.

 

[chilidawg]

I agree with the principle but the tricky part is what does "holding players accountable" mean? If that means yelling at them in the postgame locker room that's just not Stevens' demeanor and if he tried to throw a Bob Knight-style hissy fit he'd probably be more comical than imposing. If that means benching players if they don't take good shots or whatever, for obvious reasons you can't do that in the playoffs really at all, and even in the regular season you risk just alienating the player if you do that. So you're left with trying to emphasize these things in practice, calling players out during film sessions, etc., which I virtually guarantee you Stevens and his staff do already.

I'd agree with all of this, just seems it needs more emphasis. Obviously none of us really knows what goes on behind the scenes. The late game execution just has to be better.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Also, I will be surprised if Boston gives up on Edwards like most Celtics fans already have. Not every rookie is Tyler Herro or even Lu Dort or Grant Williams.

Carsen Edwards isn't likely to become the next Steph Curry and he may end up having a very short NBA career. The C's need more shooting and the thing is, if Edwards comes back better prepared and can shoot credibly off the bench, by virtue of his contract he is a bargain for the team. My guess is that they give him every opportunity to show he can fill that role going into next season - I don't think that it will preclude them searching for another option but unless he needs to be included in a larger deal to make it work, the Celtics have little in the way of incentives to actively move him.

 

[OurF'ingCity]

Also, I will be surprised if Boston gives up on Edwards like most Celtics fans already have. Not every rookie is Tyler Herro or even Lu Dort or Grant Williams.

Carsen Edwards isn't likely to become the next Steph Curry and he may end up having a very short NBA career. The C's need more shooting and the thing is, if Edwards comes back better prepared and can shoot credibly off the bench, by virtue of his contract he is a bargain for the team. My guess is that they give him every opportunity to show he can fill that role going into next season - I don't think that it will preclude them searching for another option but unless he needs to be included in a larger deal to make it work, the Celtics have little in the way of incentives to actively move him.

Very much agree with this. The Celtics should be stockpiling potentially good 3-point shooters like baseball teams do relievers. So that includes Carsen in the hopes that he improves, one or two guys in the draft, maybe a veteran that might be washed up but might be able to still give them some productive shooting for stretches. Then they have the flexibility to see who is the hot hand and can reassess in mid-season as need be.

Of course I'm making it sound easier than it is given limited roster spots but it's a solid strategy.

 

[RedOctober3829]

Also, I will be surprised if Boston gives up on Edwards like most Celtics fans already have. Not every rookie is Tyler Herro or even Lu Dort or Grant Williams.

Carsen Edwards isn't likely to become the next Steph Curry and he may end up having a very short NBA career. The C's need more shooting and the thing is, if Edwards comes back better prepared and can shoot credibly off the bench, by virtue of his contract he is a bargain for the team. My guess is that they give him every opportunity to show he can fill that role going into next season - I don't think that it will preclude them searching for another option but unless he needs to be included in a larger deal to make it work, the Celtics have little in the way of incentives to actively move him.

No they'll give him every opportunity to succeed because he's making little money and that's really valuable to the Celtics right now. However the downfall on him is he will kill them on the defensive end because of his size. For 10 minutes a game, if he can come in and knock down 3's that would be great.

 

[ugmo33]

Perusing the free agency list, it's pretty thin. Lots of player option guys and then some RFAs like Saric, Dunn, and Bogdanovich (SAC).

Of the UFAs, I'm ruling out the following guys as too expensive: Gallinari, Dragic, Bertans, Wood, Harris, Whiteside, Clarkson.

Maybe I could see the Celtics swinging a deal with Derrick Favors, Jacob Poetl, or Justin Holliday. Or a reunion with Baynes. Crowder ain't coming back.

Maybe a reclamation investment on an old draft binky like Josh Jackson (a la Evan Turner all those years ago; another UFA).

Noel and Cauley-Stein are available, which would make the Port Cellar happy.

As for old veteran ring chasers: Teague, Augustin, Korver, and then umm.. Cousins, Howard, and Anthony?

Really looks like the Celtics are just going to run it back.

I would love to have Bogdanovich on this team. Not sure why Sac would let him walk and I don't think the C's can offer anything over the MLE...maybe a sign a trade if Hayward opts in? With some draft picks going their way?

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Perusing the free agency list, it's pretty thin. Lots of player option guys and then some RFAs like Saric, Dunn, and Bogdanovich (SAC).

Of the UFAs, I'm ruling out the following guys as too expensive: Gallinari, Dragic, Bertans, Wood, Harris, Whiteside, Clarkson.

Maybe I could see the Celtics swinging a deal with Derrick Favors, Jacob Poetl, or Justin Holliday. Or a reunion with Baynes. Crowder ain't coming back.

Maybe a reclamation investment on an old draft binky like Josh Jackson (a la Evan Turner all those years ago; another UFA).

Noel and Cauley-Stein are available, which would make the Port Cellar happy.

As for old veteran ring chasers: Teague, Augustin, Korver, and then umm.. Cousins, Howard, and Anthony?

Really looks like the Celtics are just going to run it back.

Augustin taking over the Wanamaker role would be interesting depending on the cost. Setting aside this season where a knee injury slowed him, he offers the C's better scoring and ball-handling (he is very efficient at running PnRs) but far worse defense. I think the C's will probably run it back with The Plumber because Augstin's market is likely to be decent. However DJ could be a lowkey way to upgrade some bench scoring and ballhandling to go along with the defense of Williams and, perhaps, Langford.

 

[Arroyo Con Frijoles]

Am I wrong to think it's poor form to trade a high-profile guy after he opts in? I suppose it's one thing to do with the filler guys on your roster if you need to clear salary for a big move, but is that kind of thing going to happen to a max guy you lured over in free agency? Genuinely asking, because I don't know if there is concern about how that would look to future FAs and agents.