Boston Celtics are cowardly for standing pat at the trade deadline
By Max Bozicas
On a day where multiple NBA contenders improved and high caliber players were dealt for hardly anything of value, the Boston Celtics did nothing.
The Boston Celtics have proven that they have a real chance at making a deep playoff run, but they are not without their issues. On the day of the NBA trade deadline they decided to not make any moves and stick with the team as it currently is. This is a monumental mistake that the team is likely to regret.
The Celtics could have used another big man and some more bench scoring. That was clearly available across the league, as there were moves made that involved impactful players.
For example, the Detroit Pistons traded Andre Drummond to the Cleveland Cavaliers for what amounts to a half-eaten bag of peanuts. The Los Angeles Clippers and the Miami Heat, two high-seeded playoff teams, both improved as well.
So Danny Ainge, what are we doing here? Given the current state of the team and their draft capital, not making a move to solidify themselves as a serious threat to come out of the East is an act of cowardice at the highest level.
The Boston Celtics could have easily beaten Cleveland’s offer for Drummond, or met the Washington Wizards’ demand of two first rounders for Dāvis Bertāns. Either of those players coming to the Celtics makes them better and they wouldn’t have had to give up anything of serious circumstance.
Yes, the Wizards asking price for Bertāns sounds like a lot. If the Celtics were lined up to get a top pick then the hesitance would be understandable. However, that’s not even close to being the case. Their best 2020 draft pick originally belonged to the Memphis Grizzlies, and they are currently the 8th seed in the Western Conference.
Washington's demand for Davis Bertans is two first-round picks, per league sources. Bertans will be an unrestricted free agent and the Wizards would like to re-sign him if they keep him. The Celtics one of multiple playoff teams with interest in acquiring Bertans.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) February 6, 2020
Draft picks are generally disposable in the NBA unless they come from a team that is really struggling. A first rounder that isn’t a lotto pick is better spent being dealt for established talent. The Celtics had an easy opportunity to add a guy who averages 15 points off the bench in a season where they are 27th in bench points per game. To put that into perspective, the Clippers are the best team in the league in that area and still went out and made it better.
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It’s difficult to convey how aggravating this is. Other top teams made moves to increase their chances to make it to the finals while the Celtics, who are currently the third seed in the East despite obvious flaws, did nothing. The team is still fun to watch and is capable of winning in the playoffs but there was a real opportunity to get better this season while sacrificing little to nothing in terms of future assets.
Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics were once again very disappointing at the deadline.
Celtics fans should be used to this, but it’s exasperating to see the team firmly in playoff contention with the possibility of making a trade or two that turns them into an even bigger threat, and then not having that come to fruition.
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The Boston Celtics are still a great team but they could have put themselves a notch above the teams they are currently cluttered with.