I feel like two things are true about the Boston Celtics after their terrible Jaylen Brown trade: 1) they're not championship contenders anymore, especially with the rise of teams like the New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors, and now the Philadelphia 76ers, and 2), this team might still be pretty good next year.
It's tough to look at Boston as serious title contenders, since they weren't really in that category even before the offseason started (in my opinion). And their moves this offseason haven't moved the needle too much in the other direction.
But there's still a lot to like about about what they're building, and they may be able to surprise some people next season.
Like it or not, Paul George is a good fit with the Celtics
Take away all your feelings and emotions away for just one second. Yes, trading Brown when they did and to the specific team they did isn't ideal, and it's likely going to backfire against the Celtics in a big way. But there's also a lot to like about what Paul George brings to the table *ducks*.
He may be 75 years old and is guaranteed to sit out for at least 30% of the Celtics' games next season, but George knows how to play second fiddle at this stage in his career. And he knows how to play it well.
In Philadelphia last season, he was a great connector and took a backseat to Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid when needed. He filled in the margins, became a secondary playmaker, played solid defense, hit some shots, and took over when the team needed him to.
The 76ers were right to trade him (and his contract) for Brown, but they also might actually miss him? When George plays, it's clear he still has a lot left in the tank. And, you might not want to hear it, but he can actually be a really good fit next to Jayson Tatum in Boston, because he doesn't need to be the No. 1 guy to impact the game in a positive way.
(Also, if there's one positive takeaway from this trade from Boston's perspective, it is that George is a much better three-point shooter than Brown is, and he should be a better fit in Joe Mazzulla's system.)
The Celtics bolstered their frontcourt with the Mitchell Robinson pickup
Heading into the offseason, I thought the Celtics should have focused on adding a stretch big to replace Neemias Queta in the lineup (I was even for a Kristaps Porzingis reunion -- I might have been the only one in New England, now that I think about it). But in hindsight, this might have been a better decision.
There weren't a ton of legitimate stretch bigs available for Boston on the market. And in that case, the second-best plan was to go in the complete opposite direction, and the Celtics did exactly that.
Mitchell Robinson can't shoot, can't pass (even for a big man), and is a career 7.5 PPG scorer. But he can also outrebound anybody with a pulse, especially on the offensive glass (to use just one of many examples, his 4.2 offensive rebounds per game last season were second in the NBA behind Donovan Clingan's 4.5). He is also incredibly physical and provides vertical spacing as a lob threat.
With the addition of Robinson, the Celtics should be able to win the position battle on a nightly basis (especially with Neemias Queta's presence as well), meaning more shots will be attempted, and (hopefully) more points will be scored.
The Celtics have a very good roster overall
Boston's roster is a shell of what it was in 2023-24, but it's still solid.
Tatum now has an opportunity to show what he can do as the clear-cut top guy on the Celtics. Derrick White should be in line for a big bounce-back season. Payton Pritchard will have an opportunity to take on a bigger role offensively. And the Celtics will bank on natural development from players like Hugo Gonzalez and Baylor Scheierman.
They may not be championship contenders anymore (again, in my opinion), but Boston can't be counted out just yet.
Add us as a preferred source on Google