The Boston Celtics have lost four out of their last five games and have fallen under .500 with a record of 20-21. Boston is coming off a lackluster performance to the Sacramento Kings losing 107-96. The Celtics are currently 8th in the eastern conference and Danny Ainge needs to make a move before the trade deadline if he wants his team to compete this year.
There are two directions that Danny Ainge could go and that’s either finding another star to join Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, or improving the squad’s bench depth:
Finding Another Star
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are playing the best basketball of their careers. Tatum is averaging 25.0 pts, 6.9 reb, 4.3 ast, and 1.4 stl per game while Brown is averaging 24.4 pts, 5.5 reb, 3.9 ast, and 1.3 stl per contest. The wing tandem are definitely not the direct problem with the Celtics’ offensive inconsistencies, instead I turn my head towards Kemba Walker.
The trade for Walker seemed like a great acquisition for the Celtics as Kyrie Irving left to sign to the Brooklyn Nets. Walker has carried the Charlotte Hornets for his entire career posting 20+ points a night. That version of Walker isn’t here today. Since his knee injury last season, he’s lost his quick first step and his ability to finish at the cup.
This season, Walker is scoring 17.8 points per contest on 38.8% shooting. Walker missed the beginning of the season but returned in mid-January but has never found consistency on the offensive end. Right now, it doesn’t look like the UConn product can be the third star to elevate the Celtics to the next level.
Although, the value of Walker on the trade market is low, you could deal him along with some draft picks and see what teams would offer in return.
The rumors of Nikola Vucevic coming to Boston have been a fantasy so far but he would be a great addition to the team. A big who can rebound, stretch the floor and hit perimeter shots. Brad Stevens could use him in the pick n’ roll or pick n’ pop and Vucevic would be effective. A center like Vucevic would ease the pressure of the bench to provide some scoring each night as well as Tatum and Brown.
Adding Bench Depth
If the asking price for Nikola Vucevic is too high, Ainge would need to add some players to the bench. The only untouchables on the roster should be Tatum, Brown, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III, and Payton Pritchard. Young players in Romeo Langford and Aaron Nesmith aren’t untouchable but I would like to see them develop a little bit more under Brad Stevens.
The rest of the roster just isn’t good enough. Daniel Theis is a 6’8″ center who can stretch the floor but he’s the most undisciplined defender in the league when it comes to fouling. Tristan Thompson is a great rebounder and hustle player but he’s so limited on offense and at times has found himself stranded with the ball on the perimeter leading to bad shot selections late in the shot clock.
Jeff Teague has been the worst out of the bunch. Teague was supposed to be the veteran point guard to provide some scoring and playmaking off the bench but he can’t buy a basket this season. Semi Ojeleye has showed some glimpses of good offense like his 24-point outing against the Toronto Raptors but it’s his fourth year on the Celtics and he has never been a consistent contributor on the offensive end.
Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes has been rumored to be a target for the Celtics and he’s player that could provide shooting and can defend multiple positions. Josh Richardson is another player who could be a good addition to Boston. Richardson can defend as well and although he’s struggling this season from beyond the arc, a new system could improve his percentages.
It starts with Danny Ainge to acquire some versatile players to the roster to get the Celtics out of this slump. Then, it’s up to Brad Stevens to put his team in the best position to succeed. Stevens has received a lot of criticism but given the roster that is currently constructed, it’s hard to point the finger at him. Lastly, the newly acquired players have to buy in to winning basketball to turn around an up and down season for Boston.
Ainge still has the $28.5 million trade exception and he should use it before it’s a waste. Ainge can’t settle this time around or it’s an early playoff exit for the Celtics.
Photo credit: Hardwood Houdini, Celtics Blog