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A WHIRLWIND OFF-SEASON FOR THE BOSTON CELTICS

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Boston Celtics Introduce Brad Stevens

(Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

 

Who’s Next To Wear Green?

Gordon Hayward, Anthony Davis, Carmelo Anthony, Paul George, Jimmy butler, the list goes on and on of potential, “could be” next Boston Celtics super star.  As the 2017 NBA off-season winds down we are starting to see the new Celtics roster take shape and we are left with some feelings that we get every year of, “what could have been” if different moves had been made. From the addition of Gordon Hayward to the subtraction of beloved Avery Bradley, let’s take a look and recap what has been one of the busiest/craziest Celtics off-seasons since maybe the Garnett/Pierce/Allen era began.

 

The One Loss:

Cleveland Cavaliers v Boston Celtics - Game Five

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First, let’s start with maybe the most substantial loss to any NBA team this off-season on both ends of the floor and when it comes to leadership in the locker room, and that man’s name is Avery Bradley. Whether you loved him for his all-out hustle and dirt dog style of play or hated him due to his inconsistency to stay on the floor due to injuries, there is one thing Celtics fans can’t deny and that is that Avery Bradley the person will be missed on the court and off the court for this Celtics team going forward. Not only did Avery show passion on the court with his hard-nose style of play but he also showed passion off the court for the time and effort he put in with children and fans alike in Celtics Nation. There is NO DOUBT that Avery the person and Avery the basketball player (whom by the way was snubbed from the ALL NBA DEFENSIVE TEAM) WILL be missed.

 

The MAJOR Gain(s):

Detroit Pistons v New York Knicks

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  Now that we have discussed the one loss that could haunt the Celtics this season let’s talk positive and discuss a few of the additions that were made that Celtics fans may like, not like, or learn to love. First let’s go with the man who was traded for Avery Bradley and that is Marcus Morris. For those not familiar with Marcus or only know his brother Markieff (instigator for the Wizards) let me begin by saying that Marcus should not be slept on because this guy can BALL and will flat out go to war for anyone wearing green next to him. This guy is a tall/long forward who can play and guard the 3 and 4 positions and can pretty much score from anywhere on the floor, although his defense won’t be on the same level as Avery but that’s what we have a guy named Marcus Smart for.

The next big addition on this team for me anyways is going to be this year’s draft selection, Jayson Tatum. Tatum was just voted as the NBA’s rookie that is most likely to succeed which is high praise for a kid who was drafted #3 overall it what could turn out to be a very good draft class.  At first I was not keen on the idea of Ainge making ANOTHER draft selection on a team that is already young and looking for another superstar to take some of the load off guys like IT4 and Al Horford. Not only did they get a draft pick in Tatum that can help right away and eventually become a star in this league but also went out and signed one of if not THE biggest names on the Free Agent circuit and that is Gordon Hayward who we will get into further down the line.

2017 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot

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Jayson Tatum may not be the best “athlete” from this year’s draft but there is no question after watching him in Summer League play and reading all the reports on this guy that he will be the BEST all-around scorer from this year’s draft. Tatum has the ability to play positions 2-4 and can even handle the ball at the 1 and create a shot and score off the dribble. He is also long enough to guard any position on the floor and although he and Jaylen Brown can be scary together it does make way for a possible trade involving Brown for another super-star that plays in New Orleans and has the last name Davis (just an idea), so Celtics fans be ready because Jayson Tatum is indeed the next BIG THING.

Next up, the major move…Gordon Hayward!!! This guy is an all-out consistent Scorer and a flat out BIG TIME BALLER whom Celtics Nation will have no choice but to love. Gordon Hayward is an underrated player in this league but with this Celtics team the league will have to finally recognize him as one of the better all-around players in the league. Pairing Hayward with the likes of Thomas, Horford and Brad Stevens means nothing but bad news for the rest of the NBA and the Eastern Conference as a whole.

NCAA Championship Game: Butler v Duke

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The reason why I love this move so much is the clear indication that this guy has the passion to win and has commitment and loyalty to winning. This is a guy who left a fan base who LOVED him in Utah and decided to come to the best fan base in ALL of basketball  just so he could team up with his old college coach and buddy, Brad Stevens. This guys will to win with his former coach that he came within seconds and inches of winning a college title with is incredible and I cant wait to see him perform in Celtics green…..EXPECT BIG THINGS TO COME FROM HAYWARD AND EXPECT HIS CAREER AND HIS GAME TO BE TAKEN TO A WHOLE DIFFERENT LEVEL!

 

THE MINOR MOVES WITH POTENITAL MAJOR IMPACTS:

I wanted to briefly touch on the MINOR moves this Celtics team mad that could have a sneaky impact on the outcome of how this season plays out and how well this team performs. The moves that stood out for me that could have an impact off of our bench are Aron Baynes, Semi Ojeleye, Daniel Theis and possibly the biggest sleeper of them all, Guerschon Yabusele. Lets start with the Australian Bruiser, Aron Baynes. Baynes is a guy who immediately gives you rim protection on a team that has lacked since the days of Garnett and Perkins. Although Baynes doesn’t provide much offense he makes up for it with his size and presence in the paint and Celtics nation should be excited to see what he can bring to this team as sort of a unknown player coming into this upcoming season.

The other guy who could have a bright future and can offer a lot to this team is Guerschon. Yabusele is a guy that when drafted was relatively an unknown and somewhat of a mystery  but let me tell you, after watching this kid play some overseas ball and some games with the Maine Red Claws you can tell this kid can be a major contributor right away on both ends of the floor and has the build and style of play as a guy like Draymond Green who we all know is quite possibly one of the best 2-way players in the NBA not named Lebron or Kawai. Celtics fans need to get ready and be excited to watch this freak athlete hit the hardwood and do some damage for this team and to me could possibly be used as a Lebron type of stopper.

2016 NBA Draft

NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 23: . (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

 

 FINAL OUTCOME AND PREDICITONS:

  So Celtics fans should be aware by now that this team is being built around the new NBA era and is creating a blue print for teams to follow on what kind of guys are taking over this league and that are big, athletic wing players who can play multiple positions and stretch the floor and help other guys get open.

It will be interesting to see how the new big 3 plays together and who will take over Avery’s spot on the floor whether it’s Jaylen, Marcus, or Tatum, someone will have to step up in a big way to fill that void. This year should be an exciting one and the year we dethrone Lebron and the Cavs.

PG: IT4

SG: JAYLEN BROWN

SF: GH20

PF- CROWDER

C- HORFORD

Bench rotation: Smart, Tatum, Morris, Baynes, Guerschon,

 

-OVERALL RECORD: 51-31

-1ST PLACE IN THE EAST

-LOSE THE FINALS IN 6 GAMES TO THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

 

NOT FAMILIAR WITH NEW FACES ON THE CELTICS ROSTER? CHECK OUT THE TEAMS OFFICIAL PAGE TO LEARN SOME OF THE NEW FACES AND NAMES YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE THIS UPCOMING SEASON @

WWW.CELTICS.COM

 

#GoGreen

     Boston Celtics v Cleveland Cavaliers - Game Four

Why Celtics Nation Should Trade for Kyrie

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With reports running wild out of Cleveland about the possibility of a Kyrie trade,  Celtics fans need to ask themselves just one question. “Do we have a chance?”

Conflicting reports continue.  The C’s and Cavs have stayed in touch about the possibility of a deal between the two clubs involving Kyrie and multiple Celtics assets. If these reports pan out and a trade does happen, then this would be HUGE for the Celtics now, and going forward in the future. Consider some of the reasons why I feel like the trade would make the Celtics a better team in the long run, and my possible trade scenario:

-Via @AdamHimmelsbach / Celtics writer for the Boston Globe

– Via @ByJayKing / Boston Celtics reports for MassLive.com

 

The Age/Injury Factor:

Although IT4 is not an old man, he has three years on Kyrie who is currently only 25. There is also the lingering concern when it comes to injury, with IT4 who just avoided major hip surgery. Although he doesn’t need surgery (yet), a hip problem is a big red flag for me when it comes to a 5’9 point guard who likes the drive the lane and cause contact against bigger bodies in the paint.

When I hear hip injury for IT, I can only believe this has a high probability to shorten his career.  Kyrie has no major injury concerns, besides soreness in his knee this past year.   The risk of injury factor leans towards IT more than it does Kyrie.

Kyrie – 1

IT- 0

 

The Contract Situations

One thing to always consider when it comes to a trade, especially of this magnitude — the contracts involved and the value  for each team.

First we have Kyrie who signed a five-year, $94M deal.  In 2017-18, Irving will earn a base salary of $18,868,625. This may seem like a high dollar amount, but quite frankly he is UNDERPAID for how good he is and ranks 48th, YES 48TH among player salaries going into next season which is quite low for possibly the second best point guard in the NBA. Kyrie is under control for the next couple of seasons and has already said he would re-sign if traded to the Spurs.  Don’t count the C’s out just yet especially since reports broke that he wants to play for Brad Stevens.

Next we have IT who is currently ranked 168th next year in NBA salary rankings. IT4 will be making a little north of $6M next season, clearly low, and he deserves much, much more.  But I am not sold on a 5’9 PG with a new hip injury receiving a max contract….NOT FROM THE CELTICS ANYWAY! Contract wise, the favorable choice here for the Celtics would be to trade for Kyrie who you would control for another few years, as opposed to taking a risk and paying IT4 a max-dollar amount.

Kyrie- 2

It4- 0

Via Pro Basketball Reference

Via Pro Basketball Reference

 

Kyrie vs IT4

Now lets take a look at both players overall and determine who really ranks highest. As ALL of Celtic Nation knows by now, IT4 “Mr. 4th Quarter” has earned his nickname. Big shots late in games pointing to his wrist at an imaginary watch asking, “what time is it?” But we all knew it was HIS time. What Thomas did for this team last season in late games and in BIG games was nothing short of miraculous and heroic.  But in playoff games, we needed the same IT4 late in games but we did not get same outcome.

In his career,  Isaiah has averaged 19.1 ppg to go along with 5.2 apg , 2.6 trb , and one steal per game. Thomas saw a huge incline last season in ppg where he went from 22 to 28 ppg with NUMEROUS clutch shots to guide the Celtics team to victory. One huge fault of IT4 is his tendency to take some bad shots or too many shots, and he plays ZERO defense….Lets not forget before signing Gordon Hayward, IT4 was the primary scorer on this team.

Kyrie dhas average 21.6 ppg to go along with 5.5 apg , 3.4 trb , and 1.3 steals per game. Kyrie seems to only be getting better every year he plays and this guy is one of, if not the BEST ball handlers. He absolutely COOKS his defenders and makes them looks silly. Although Kyrie is not much of an upgrade over IT4 defensively, he is still the bigger guard and I would take him on defense over IT4 any day of the week.  I cannot stress enough to Celtics fans or any NBA fans that Kyrie is overshadowed on Cleveland’s roster by a guy named Lebron James who is a top-three player of ALL-TIME.

While we are discussing the two players and speaking about IT4 being Mr. 4th Quarter lets not forget that Lebron wouldn’t have two rings without two big shots late in Final’s games. One of those big shots came from Ray Allen in the corner when the Heat beat the Spurs.  The other shot  came from Kyrie himself in game seven vs Golden State to bring a long awaited title to “The Land.”  Kyrie seems to always make a HUGE shot when it matters most or takes the ball to the hole on bigger defenders in big games and finish at the rim effortlessly….. That is the kinda guy I want wearing green in big games. So who makes the team better in my opinion? KYRIE ALL DAY, NO QUESTIONS ASKED!

OAKLAND, CA – JUNE 19: Kyrie Irving #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots a three-point basket late in the fourth quarter against Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 19, 2016 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Kyrie – 3

IT4 -0

(CLEAN SWEEP)

 

THE TRADE PROPOSAL:

Boston Receives:

Kyrie Irving

 

Cleveland Recevies:

Jae Crowder

Isaiah Thomas

Terry Rozier

Lakers 2018 1st round draft pick

 

Why you make the trade

So this one is actually easy for me. If I am Danny Ainge, I pull the trigger on this deal for a few reasons. Take away IT for a second and look at what else you’re giving up. If the Celtics give up Crowder and somehow keep Tatum (who Cleveland is reportedly interested in) then you have depth at the forward position with Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Morris, Semi Ojeleye, and Gureschon Yabusele. Clearly, there is a log jam at the 3-4 position so losing Jae isn’t that big of a deal. Losing IT4 hurts, but you’re getting a younger and better guard in return.   Losing Rozier really doesn’t do much because of the emergence of Marcus Smart as an all around guard and a more than capable backup/6th man off the bench.

This is an easy one for me fellow Celtic fans.   If this deal materializes, you pull the trigger and you pull it ASAP! Sorry IT, I love ya bud,  but I’m just looking at the best option for the team now and in the future!