As soon as Kyrie Irving went down in early March, many questions rose among the NBA and its fans. What would the Celtics do without him? Would they make it past the first round without their star point guard? Out of all the possible scenarios imagined, the reality of what ended up happening exceeded all expectations.
Terry Rozier stepped up in place of Irving, well enough to establish himself as a threat among the league. He started all 19 games in the playoffs for Boston, and averaged 16.5 points per game on a 40.6-34.7-.821 shooting split. Rozier averaged 1.3 steals per game, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists. “Scary Terry” became a thing in Boston, and the fan-favorite guard should be very proud of his postseason.
Following the Celtics loss to the Cavaliers (again) in the Eastern Conference Finals, it’s safe to say that the franchise should keep Rozier. He’s a restricted free agent next summer, so Boston has him for at least another year. A genius plan for the club is to re-sign him, and let him be their sixth man. It’s pitiful to hear the claims that Boston is better without Kyrie, who is already a 5-time all-star at age 26. They need to keep both pieces, but make sure Rozier gets sufficient minutes.
Marcus Smart is now a restricted free agent, and the best option for Boston is to let him go. If they want to afford Rozier and Kyrie, Smart just doesn’t fit in the picture. He was quoted as saying he’s worth more than the $12-14 million price tag that was recently placed on him with free agency approaching. He failed to make either All-Defensive Team, and his shooting performances have hindered him (Smart shot 33.6% from the field during the 2018 Playoffs).
By all means, Smart is a very impressive basketball player. In terms of the Celtics though, he’s just not a right fit anymore. They’ve got a very bright future, and he shouldn’t be part of it if they want to afford everybody.
This July, Aron Baynes, Greg Monroe, Shane Larkin, Jonathan Gibson, and Jabari Bird are all free agents. Bird and Gibson are both young, valuable pieces that can be seen as blooming role players. Monroe averaged 10.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 26 games for Boston this year. Baynes was statistically subpar, averaging 6 points and 5.3 rebounds in 81 regular season games. Monroe is just 27 years old, while Baynes is 31.
Baynes was virtually on the court to get dunked on (as Joel Embiid said on Twitter), and generally lacked a set of offensive skills to make up for his defensive play. Albeit, Baynes sometimes played very well defensively but the general consensus is that he wasn’t too valuable. He needs to be dropped, and Monroe needs to step up in that spot. Monroe has very good post moves, is athletic, and is very strong. He would be worth re-signing.
The summer after the 2018-2019 season is going to prove very important for the Celtics. Kyrie is a free agent in 2019, and General Manager Danny Ainge should be focused on keeping him there. Al Horford has a player option, so Boston should also focus on keeping their main big man happy. Despite being 31 years old, he was an All-Star last season and there’s no reason to think this would change next year. The Celtics need him in every way, for he is their defensive anchor, a veteran leader, and one of the best offensive options on the team.
Marcus Morris shined bright in the playoffs this year, and definitely proved his worth in Boston. He’s a true team player, always willing to stand up for his teammates and fight until the end. The 6’9” power forward is a perfect starter for the team, assuming Horford starts at center. Morris blends perfectly with coach Brad Stevens’ style of play, molding to play whatever role necessary. At just 28 years of age, Morris would be worth keeping.
Young guns Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are both under team options next summer, and the answer to whether or not they should be kept doesn’t even need to be answered. Both have the chance to be perennial All-Stars, and Boston needs to put an emphasis on treasuring the talent they have for as long as possible. Both also need to start in order to develop, but with a coach like Stevens, harvesting their abilities isn’t going to be too much of a problem.
To put it all together, the Boston Celtics need to keep their core together. Just think about it – they came within one game of the NBA Finals against the Cavaliers, and they didn’t even have (arguably) their two best players. Beating LeBron is no easy task, and it is no guarantee they’ll even have to face him in the coming years considering he might not even re-sign with Cleveland. The Celtics should soon have enough talent and experience to take out The King, no matter how astonishingly amazing he plays.
This season should be viewed as a success, and it is quite apparent that the Celtics will be in the Finals soon enough. Whether they can compete with Golden State is another question, but just making it that far is a good thing. Remember, the Warriors current roster is arguably the best basketball team ever. However, age is a thing and when LeBron slows down, the Celtics will still be on the rise. When Tatum and Brown are at their peaks, Kyrie will still be very good and the Warriors will be a team of aging veterans, completely capable of being defeated.
Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens have a very good thing going for them, and it’d be in their best interest to not mess it up. The Celtics have a chance to continue their dynasty, and even if LeBron topples them for the next few years, the greatest player of this generation will retire eventually. Putting that in mind, there is no reason for Boston to switch up their roster.
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