Last season was all about internal development, natural progression, and breakout campaigns for just about everybody on the Boston Celtics' roster. And with the team clearly needing to make some improvements following their first-round playoff collapse against the Philadelphia 76ers (and the uprising of other Eastern Conference threats, like the New York Knicks), it's important for them to build upon this momentum for next year and beyond.
The Celtics need to prioritize developing their young players
It remains to be seen exactly what the Celtics are going to do this offseason. Maybe a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade actually might happen for them (much to my chagrin), or maybe they're going to get a not-as-splashy upgrade by way of Wendell Carter Jr., or maybe nothing ends up happening because they don't really have many ways to make a splash that doesn't revolve around gutting half their team or moving on from Jaylen Brown (which, in 99% of possibilites, would not be a good idea).
Regardless, changes need to happen in Boston, but it all could just start from within.
Hugo Gonzalez had a solid rookie season, and it already seems like he's going to be a big part of the team's plans moving forward. Additionally, Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, and Ron Harper Jr. all showed flashes as wing assets last season, and Luka Garza and Neemias Queta each exceeded expectations and look like real contributors moving forward.
If each of these players can get even 5% better by the start of next season, then that would be great news for a Celtics team looking to stay in the championship picture moving forward.
The Celtics might not want to make a big splash this offseason
It's not the exciting route, but unless there's a trade that's obviously too good to pass up, the Celtics may not benefit from making any type of blockbuster moves this offseason. They don't need to shake up the core; they just need to fill in the margins.
Depending on who they end up with, any trade could drastically alter Boston's long-term championship window. With Brown and Jayson Tatum leading the way, the team might have another four to five years or so of being in serious title contention. With Tatum and Antetokounmpo (for the sake of this argument), they might have two or three. And that's not even factoring in all the picks and other potential key players they would likely have to move on from as well.
The way last season ended was brutal and will sting for a while, but the Celtics still have a solid outlook for next year. Tatum will be back for the full season, and the rest of the team should only continue to get better from here on out.
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