During their six-game loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the Boston Celtics clearly demonstrated that they have several holes on the roster that need to be filled.
Sure, just about every team has deficiencies, but the best of the best either minimize them or mask them.
It’s up to Danny Ainge and the Celtics’ brass to take care of that this summer.
Let’s address what Boston needs this offseason.
ANOTHER SCORER
Isaiah Thomas’ struggles in Games 5 and 6 were a painful reminder that the Celtics are in dire need of another go-to scorer.
As good as Thomas is, it’s difficult to rely on on him as a consistent No. 1 option, and defenses can also key on him when there are no other legitimate scoring threats on the floor, as the Hawks did late in the series.
Putting another scorer alongside of Thomas would not only open up his game, but drastically improve Boston’s offense as a whole.
Guys like Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley would get better looks. There would be less pressure on Marcus Smart to score. Kelly Olynyk might find life easier.
Adding someone else who can score 18 points a night would serve as a domino effect for a Celtics offense that could certainly use a jolt.
There should be plenty of opportunities for Ainge to address this issue in the coming months, with guys like DeMarcus Cousins, Jimmy Butler and Blake Griffin potentially being on the trade market and some big-name free agents available.
Heck, the Brooklyn Nets’ pick that Boston owns could be used to land a scorer in the draft.
There are lots of ways the C’s can go about remedying this problem over the summer, but somehow, some way, it needs to get done.
PERIMETER SHOOTING
Another reason why Thomas labored so much in the latter stages of the Atlanta series was due to the fact that the Celtics lacked the necessary floor spacing for him to comfortably operate.
Sure, Bradley was out and Crowder and Olynyk were both hampered by injuries, but that doesn’t change the fact that Boston ranked next-to-last in three-point percentage this season.
The only team to rank lower than the C’s? The Los Angeles Lakers.
Let that sink in for a moment. The almost historically bad Philadelphia 76ers, who essentially fielded a D-League team this past year, was a better three-point shooting team than the 48-win Celtics.
That right there should tell you how badly Boston needs some perimeter threats.
Generally, three-point shooters can always be found on the open market, so that should–and almost certainly will–be one of Ainge’s top priorities this offseason.
There is no way Ainge could have possibly watched that series against the Hawks and not have came away with the conclusion that the C’s need outside shooting.
Let’s hope that manifests itself in preparation for 2016-17.
INTERIOR DEFENSE
March 31, 2016 – AMIR JOHNSON (90) right, blocks the shot of DAMIAN LILLARD (0) left. The Portland Trail Blazers hosted the Boston Celtics at the Moda Center on March 31, 2016. (Photo by David Blair/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire)
The Celtics have one good interior defender: Amir Johnson.
That’s it.
The craziest part is that Boston’s second-best interior defender may very well be the 6’4″ Smart. No offense to Olynyk, Jared Sullinger and Tyler Zeller (the latter two of whom may very well be gone this summer anyway), but the C’s are in desperate need of some paint protection.
Johnson was brilliant throughout the entire series against Atlanta, and it was hard not to feel sorry for him essentially getting left on an island all by himself to deal with the Hawks’ talented frontline.
This isn’t just about blocking shots, either.
This is about having bigs who are athletic enough to get out and guard the pick-and-roll and then recover. Johnson can do that. Olynyk, Sullinger and Zeller cannot.
Of course, finding centers and power forwards who can do this on a regular basis is easier said than done, but these guys do exist, and many times, that come at bargain prices.
Just look at Bismack Biyombo in Toronto and Ed Davis in Portland. Both players were very affordable last summer, and they have done incredible jobs for their respective teams this season.
Are we all spoiled by the Kevin Garnett years? Probably, but pining for another big who can defend without getting left in his wake shouldn’t be too much to ask.
LESS REDUNDANCY
One of the Celtics’ biggest issues this past year was redundancy up and down the roster.
Too many guys had similar deficiencies and limitations.
Take Sullinger, Olynyk and Zeller, for example. All had similar problems defensively, lacking the length and/or athleticism to adequately guard the rim and the athleticism to defend high screen-and-rolls.
Then you had Smart and Evan Turner, both of whom severely lacked a touch from the perimeter.
There just isn’t enough variety on this Boston roster right now, and that makes it exceedingly easier for opponents to defend them on one end and attack them on the other.
For a rebuilding team, though, that is understandable, as you are trying to assess the talent and find out who does what best.
However, we are reaching the point where Ainge can start weeding out certain players and replacing them with more diverse athletes.
It shouldn’t be that difficult to find guys who can fill different roles, and all contending teams do this.
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