2013-2014 Boston Celtics Preview

Well….it was nice while it lasted. As a Celtics fan, I've been blessed with six awesome years of the Big Three era filled with perennial playoff contention and one championship ring. That era is now definitively over. GM Danny Ainge and the Celtics cut their losses, trading lifelong Celtic Paul Pierce and Celtic-at-heart Kevin Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets for cap fodder and three first round picks over the next several seasons. In addition to the big trade, starting point guard Rajon Rondo is recovering from a torn ACL and may not be back until mid-season. To say 2014 is a “rebuilding year” would be an understatement for the fledgling Celts.

However, there are some key storylines and important developments to keep an eye on throughout the season:


Trick-or-Treat Jeff Green
Jeff Green’s performance on the basketball court seems to fit into two diametrically opposed areas. He either rips apart defenses with his size, strength, athleticism, and perimeter shooting ability, or plays so sloppily and apathetically that you almost forget he’s a competent professional basketball player. Obviously the fact that one player plays so differently on a game-to-game (or even quarter-to-quarter) basis is mildly infuriating. Below are a couple videos that emphasize this point, including a candid take by Jason Terry.

Green is clearly capable of greatness, but the consistency and court vision he displays on a semi-regular basis is cause for concern. Like most great athletes he has trouble against physical and imposing defenders. During games when he’s not playing especially well, Green will often force shots and sloppily drive to the basket even though there is no lane or space to do so. Sometimes this results in foul calls and other times it results in contested running shots and tough layups because the defender doesn't give him any space. This type of selective decisions making is something that Green needs to get better at. He also should begin to start taking more threes, which is a skill he showed he had last year. His most efficient spot is the corner three where he made 44/102 (43%) last season. The more he strays away from arrant mid-range shots and clumsy layups, the more efficient and prolific he will be. With Rondo out for a considerable part of the season, this is Jeff Green’s team. Much like the expectations of Rondo will rise when he returns, fans will expect more of Green because he will be the best Celtic on the court for a lot of the season.


The Young Bucks
With limited veteran talent on the roster, some of Boston’s younger players will have the chance to prove themselves during games when they’ll get a lot of minutes. I’m talking about Avery Bradley, Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk, Jordan Crawford, Marshon Brooks. Bradley was in the starting lineup full time last year when he wasn’t battling injuries. If he stays healthy, Bradley will also have time to shine. Unfortunately, a lot of his easy baskets came from Rajon Rondo’s nifty passes while Avery cut to the basket. Can Bradley hit shots and create for himself without Rondo?

Olynyk and Sullinger will both get a lot of minutes in a very empty Celtic frontcourt. Creating shots down low and on the perimeter as well as effectively rebounding will be biggest keys to the season for both players. Their unique blend of size, rebounding, and perimeter jump shooting should make them very good players over the next several seasons as they continue to develop.

Brooks and Crawford are both gunners with not a lot of desire on the defensive end of the floor. They may have been great assets during the Big Three era when Boston shut teams down defensively and struggled offensively, but not on this iteration of the Celtics. Both need to work on defensive aggressiveness and consistency in order to become more well rounded players.

The caveat to all of this, however, is the fact that any of these players could be traded in the right deal. In a complete rebuild like this no player is truly “safe,” even Rajon Rondo. If the right contender finds any of these players attractive enough to part with future assets, the Celtics’ front office will strongly consider giving them up to ensure long term prosperity. Veterans like Brandon Bass and Courtney Lee may be more likely to go, but I wouldn't be surprised if I saw younger guys moved for the right price.

To Tank or Not to Tank?
One of the things that was made clear after the Garnett-Pierce trade was the fact that the Celtics want to get better from the ground up. The problem is that Boston’s roster as it’s currently constructed isn't that abysmal. The Suns, 76ers, and Magic may be worse, but the Celtics are up there in on-paper suckiness. In a very top heavy Eastern Conference, would it really be that surprising to see the Celtics sneak into an 8-seed in the playoffs? Probably, but you never know. If the team wants to truly bottom out, they’ll be looking to move every semi to egregiously awful (*cough Gerald Wallace cough*) contract on the team. Kris Humphries’ $12 million expiring contract is the most likely to go, as are Brandon Bass and Courtney Lee’s deals. If they keep those players around, they have higher likelihood of winning, no matter how marginal that amount of wins actually is. It may just be enough to keep them out of the high lottery come May 2014.

Brad Stevens
Possibly the biggest bright spot for the Celtics is young coach Brad Stevens. The 37-year-old Stevens inherits a team with a lot of unknowns and an uncertain future, but Ainge and company believe he is the right man to lead the team back to the NBA Finals. This definitely isn't the team he wants long-term, but this year will provide him with the opportunity to get his NBA bearings without a lot of significant pressure. How will he utilize lineup choices? What’s in his offensive playbook? How will the players respond to him? Former Butler players rave about Stevens’ ability to develop and teach young players. Will that same approach work with professional players with paychecks and veterans with significant egos? We shall see.

Season Outlook
Although it’s far from a guarantee, this season’s Celtics team looks like they are headed for very limited success. The solace I can gleam as a fan is that some of these players will contribute for future versions of the Celtics. Stevens seems like the coach of the future. Once he gets a fully formed roster with up-and-coming stars and seasoned veterans, I think the Celtics will be a very formidable team. Unfortunately, that seems like a reality years into future. For now all Celtics fans can do is patiently wait and hope the lottery ping pong balls to fall our way.