Piece by Anthony Del Trecco
The Boston Celtics clearly had to make some moves in the front office after a very disappointing season in terms of performance and talent acquisition.
While there were some games when they moved the ball well and played as a team, it didn’t happen nearly enough. Danny Ainge leaving was going to happen, I think we all saw that coming. Many were hoping that they would bring in someone from outside the organization to be the new general manager, someone who came from a team that wasn’t afraid to make big moves.
The Nets front office personnel should be hot commodities after what they just pulled off, building the best roster in the NBA. If you told me two years ago that Harden, Kyrie, and KD would all end up on the same team, I would’ve told you how crazy you were. But because they weren’t afraid to spend money and make moves, they’ve created something special. But, back to the Celtics who apparently had a plan all along.
Let me get this straight – the guys in charge of leading basketball’s original dynasty huddled together on the leprechaun logo under the 17 banners in the rafters. They were trying to recreate Red Auerbach’s mystique, trying to come up with a plan to get the team back where it needs to be, and this is what they came up with? The grand plan is to move the guy who coached the team that nobody listened to into the front office, who took his orders and advice from the guy whose leaving and did nothing? How is this going to change anything? The answer, it won’t.
Bring in whatever new face you want to coach the team, Jayson Tatum still won’t listen to him because he thinks he’s the second coming of Kobe. Because of his scoring ability, you need to keep him around, but his ego has become a problem. Maybe you need to bring in Bradley Beal to keep his head on straight if the new coach can’t do it on his own. But no matter what, someone has to have a very important conversation with him just like what Shaq told Kobe, there is no “I” in team. What needs to be done is something that nobody in that building has the guts to say or admit, it’s time to blow the team up and start the rebuild. You’ve got some young pieces that you can work with and build on with Payton Pritchard, Aaron Nesmith, Romeo Langford, Tremont Waters (who shined in the G League), and of course Robert Williams who has finally arrived. Jaylen Brown will be back and be great.
But guys like Kemba, Tristan Thompson, Carson Edwards, Grant Williams, Luke Kornet, Semi Ojeleye, and as much as it hurts Marcus Smart, have to go elsewhere. Trade all those guys for picks, at this point it doesn’t matter where the picks are (there is a slim chance you can get a first for Kemba and Marcus) And look, I love Tacko Fall as much as the next guy, but can we please get him some minutes to make him a real NBA player? He has shown some flashes and the guys, and the city loves him. Jabari Parker is worth keeping around because he gave the Celtics a boost during stretches during the season, and he has one year left on his contract. Evan Fournier at this point is a coin flip as he shifts his focus to representing France in the Olympics.
Big name free agents just don’t want to come to Boston. The history doesn’t matter to them, and the Celtics have to accept that. The Warriors and Bucks have done so well with drafting talented players and having them stick, the Celtics haven’t and need to clean house so they can draft new players and take that same approach. One option is to look internationally and see what European and EuroBasket players have to offer, it worked out for the Mavs with Luka and the Nuggets with Jokic.
The Celtics attempted to do that in the past with players like Shane Larkin, Brad Wanamaker, and Vincent Porier. Larkin returned to Europe after one great year with the team, Porier got traded since we wanted more playing time (still hasn’t gotten it by the way), and Wanamaker was allowed to sign with Golden State during the offseason before he was traded to Charlotte. There aren’t many current NBA players from the New England region, but if the Celtics could get guys who are motivated for an opportunity and want to come home, they would give the team all they got and more. Even at 28 years old, Pat Connaughton is a great example of that if the Bucks no longer want him.
Whatever happens this offseason, the Celtics would be wise to monitor the Damien Lillard situation in Portland carefully. Some reports say there is a chance he may ask for a trade. If that happens, Boston needs to make them an offer they can’t refuse, even if it means selling the ranch and more to get him. One thing is for sure, Larry Bird isn’t walking through that door anytime soon.