[ad_1]
Of all the trades, acquisitions and hype that the Celtics’ offseason has brought, there seems to be one common theme at first glance: defense.
It was on purpose, said Boston President Brad Stevens. The Celtics were a mediocre defensive team last season – 13th in the defensive standings – a far cry from the better defenses Stevens has used as a coach in the past.
The Celtics’ newcomers this summer tackle this side of the ball, which Stevens has called an “advantage” for their game. Al Horford slips in like a big defensive back on his return; Josh Richardson’s defensive flexibility is a plus and Stevens believes he can improve his shot; and Dennis Schröder has characteristics like a “parasite” once he’s locked up defensively.
Of course, Stevens is simply the architect in his current front office role. How the pieces are fitted and molded is in the hands of first year C trainer Ime Udoka. But Stevens said he’s not capping the team; instead, he said he was comfortable with the flexibility of the list.
“Obviously there are two sides of the ball – and to win you have to play well on both sides,” Stevens said. “To be a great team, and a team that’s in the mix, you should probably be in the top 5 or 6 on both sides.”
The starting lineup belongs to Udoka, but Stevens pointed out the added depth of this year’s squad. When injuries and COVID-19 ravaged the team last season, the roster’s lack of depth consistently crippled Stevens’ options.
The C’s feature seven players who can potentially start and end matches depending on the clashes: Horford, Schröder, Richardson, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Then the list is filled with intriguing young players who have played in the Summer League or contributed in the past, guys like Romeo Langford, Grant Williams, Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard. These former first-round picks are set to take the next steps in their careers this year – which the Celtics are banking on.
“We’ll see where we land when we get together, and how we play and how we fit in and everything in between,” Stevens said. “But we have a lot of good players and it’s exciting. We want to be able to be versatile, we want to play in different ways and we had the chance to add these guys.
The way Udoka uses the list in front of him will be an interesting sight. His tenure will be determined by his relationship with the players – namely Tatum and Brown – but this is his first head coaching position in the NBA.
The starting XI is also under discussion. Tatum, Brown and Smart are quite possibly locks given their pedigree in the team and what they bring as starters. The other two dots are the question marks: who starts between Rob Williams and Horford? Will Schröder or Richardson be in the lineup?
The Williams vs. Horford debate revolves around the health of the former. While Williams has signed a new four-year extension with the Cs, his worth will be determined by the health of the big man.
The team’s brass were cautious with Williams last year, rarely letting him play above the 25-minute mark. Stevens, the head coach at the time, kept saying it was to keep him fresh for the stretch race and the playoffs. Of course, the grass toe, knee injury and sprained ankle kept him out for the majority of the final months of the season.
Horford can still be added to the squad even at 35, but he also brings the added benefit of being able to space the floor. His playing from the center point doesn’t hurt either. There is always the chance that the Cs will go with the double big formation like last year – maybe a few whines from the fans – but Horford and Williams should be a solid rotation of big men, pending health.
The Celtics have reportedly sold the idea of Schröder leaving the bench to support Smart as a point guard, which suits the team perfectly. Schröder 5.8 assists per game last season would have led the Cs last season (Smart was 5.7 assists), so his extra play will help smooth some edges.
That means Boston could throw a lineup of Smart, Richardson, Tatum, Brown and Horford – it’s a disruptive defensive lineup. Udoka’s plans will be different from Stevens, but the Cs have the option of reverting to heavy defense that puts pressure on the opposition.
All of this results in the Celtics hopefully getting some of that “edge” Stevens insisted on; the jagged edges that helped them make three Eastern Conference finals in four years.
“Obviously we want to be a good team,” said Stevens. “I think we’ve been fortunate enough to add some guys who can really play. I think it’s positive and I think we are in a good position.
[ad_2]
Source link