Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics

2019-20: 48-24 (2nd in Atlantic, 3rd in Eastern Conference, 5th in NBA)

Beat Philadelphia 4-0 in First Round

Beat Toronto 4-3 in Semifinals

Lost to Miami 4-2 in Eastern Conference Finals

2019-20 Individual Stats	2019-20 Team Stats	Head Coach Profile
Points: Jayson Tatum (23.4)Rebounds: Enes Kanter (7.4)Assists: Marcus Smart (4.9)Steals: Marcus Smart (1.7)Blocks: Daniel Theis (1.3)3-Point %: Jayson Tatum (40.3%)Free Throw %: Brad Wanamaker (92.6%)	Points: 113.7 (9th)/107.3 (2nd)FG %: 46.1% (17th)/44.1% (4th)3-Point %: 36.4% (13th)/34.8% (16th)FT %: 80.1% (5th)Offense Rating: 4thDefense Rating: 4thTurnovers: 13.8 (8th)/15.2 (9th)	Brad Stevens – 8th season with Boston (318-246, .564, 37-36 in postseason)

The Celtics have been one of the most successful teams in the NBA over the last five seasons. They’re in the playoffs every year and they have gone to the Eastern Conference Finals in three of the last four years, but they still haven’t been able to get over that hump. 

It’s got to be frustrating for the Celtics to be right there, but having a combination of injuries and bad luck derailing their hopes for another NBA championship. They have doubled down on the team they already have in the locker room, while adding former NBA Champion Tristan Thompson to the roster. Until something big changes, the Celtics are going to be a Finals contender every season.

G Brad Wanamaker	Golden State	C Tristan Thompson	Cleveland
C Enes Kanter	Portland	G Jeff Teague	Atlanta
F Gordon Hayward	Charlotte
C Vincent Poirier	Oklahoma City

NBA Draft

(1, 14)	F Aaron Nesmith	Vanderbilt
(1, 26)	G Payton Pritchard	Oregon
(2, 47)	G Yam Madar	Israel

Projected Roster

SF	Jaylen Brown	Blossomed into All Star last year, with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 38% from 3-point range.
PF	Jayson Tatum	Has improved every year into all-around superstar. He’s a scorer, rebounder and smooth shooter. Defense also vastly improved last year
C	Tristan Thompson	Longtime Cavalier is tenacious rebounder, and virtually double-double guarantee every game.
SG	Marcus Smart	The Celtics’ heart and soul, his competitiveness and hustle is unmatched. Also improved 3-point shooting to 35%.
PG	Kemba Walker	All-star point guard had tougher time adjusting to new team, but still averaged 20 points per game. Second year should be even better.
F	Aaron Nesmith (R)	Leading scorer at Vanderbilt with 23 PPG, also shot insane 52.2% from 3 in shortened season. He’s an intriguing player.
F	Grant Williams	Last year’s rookie excels on defense, still has development to do on offense
C	Daniel Theis	Strong interior defender has knack for blocking shots. He will move to the bench after starting much of last season.
G	Payton Pritchard (R)	Won Bob Cousy Award for NCAA’s best point guard, averaged 21/4/6 in final season at Oregon.
G	Jeff Teague	Veteran guard isn’t as fast or athletic as he once was, but experience and shooting will help give Kemba Walker some valued rest.
F	Semi Ojeleye	Offensively limited, but strength and defense are valued.
F	Robert Williams	Played bigger role in Restart and playoffs than in regular season, may be time for him to get bigger role in 2021.
C	Tacko Fall	If 7-5 center can provide more of a skill set, he is fascinating player. Right now, he’s just tall.
G	Romeo Langford	Showed flashes in Restart, could see more playing time this year.
G	Carsen Edwards	Diminutive point guard couldn’t find groove in rookie season.
F	Yam Madar (R)	Named Israel’s Most Improved Player in 2020, but is still contracted overseas.
G	Javonte Green	May have difficult time finding minutes. Two-way contract might be coming
G	Tremont Waters	Needs to show something to stick on final roster.

Question #1: The Celtics have gone to the playoffs in six straight seasons, have won at least one playoff series in four straight, and have gone to the Eastern Conference Finals in three of those seasons, but still can’t get into the Finals. Have other teams simply been better? Or are the Celtics’ victims of bad luck and circumstance? And is this failure to get to the Finals becoming a mental obstacle, too?	Answer: Over the course of NBA history, dynasties usually have multiple seasons of just falling short before lifting that trophy.  The exceptions are teams that have huge trade deals or free agent signings and make an immediate postseason push (every time LeBron James changes teams).  I have no concerns about the Celtics and expect they will continue to be in the ECF for years to come, perhaps lifting the NBA trophy sooner rather than later.
Question #2: This is a team well positioned to make a title run.  They are top 5 in both offensive and defensive rating.  What are the details that they need to clean up?  What team stats should they focus on in order to become a truly legendary team?	Answer: That’s a good question because there isn’t a clear answer. The Celtics are good everywhere, and you can’t say health, because you can’t control it. So I’m going to say efficiency and consistency. Sometimes, Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown, or even Kemba Walker throw up shots because they feel they’re in a groove or try to get their game going, and bad shots hurt the offense and they hurt rhythm. The Celtics have so many great players on the roster, that any one of them can be counted on to make a big shot. Brad Stevens always preaches sharing the ball and being unselfish, and these guys have to buy in. It has to be “who has the best shot” and not “how can I get my shot?” Once that happens, the Celtics can play great basketball.
Question #3: This question is more general than just the Celtics, but it came from my looking at Marcus Smart. All Star players are usually chosen for their stats (points) and popularity (fan voting). But it can be argued that Smart is the most valuable player on the Celtics’ team because of his team-leading heart and competitive drive. Should he be an All Star? And does the system that decides who becomes an All Star need to change?	Answer: There are only a handful of players in NBA history like Marcus Smart who have made All Star games.  All stars are usually players who excel in the PPG area.  These kinds of players, such as Smart and Beverly have skill sets that we refer to as “intangibles”.  They are called that because they are hard to define and harder to justify sending them to an all star game because of those intangibles.  Most players put team success ahead of individual accolades and players like Smart and Beverly are more that type than most others in the league.
Question #4: Where will Nesmith and Pritchard fit in with this team?  The Celtics already have all star Forwards and Guards in Tatum and Walker, how can Brad Stevens use these talented draft picks to their best potential?	Answer: They should be part of the main rotation. Nesmith is a threat from deep, and should get his share of kick out threes (Think Duncan Robinson-type role). And with Wanamaker moving on, Pritchard will be the primary backup to Kemba Walker, and I could see some situations where Pritchard starts instead of Smart, allowing either him or Kemba to play off the ball, as Stevens plays around with lineups.