Poll

How many guys do you trust to give the team positive contributions outside of crunch time?

3
3 (17.6%)
4
1 (5.9%)
5
2 (11.8%)
6
2 (11.8%)
7
2 (11.8%)
8
5 (29.4%)
9+
2 (11.8%)

Total Members Voted: 17

Author Topic: How many players on the roster do you trust?  (Read 2997 times)

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Re: How many players on the roster do you trust?
« Reply #15 on: January 21, 2021, 09:31:40 AM »

Offline RodyTur10

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After 13 games I think I have a clear idea where this roster stand right now. Our record is a bit better than I expected beforehand, but nothing to get too excited about because statistically the Celtics are actually more middle of the pack. Expectation is that we'll finish somewhere 4-6 in the East which is fine. If we're talking about the playoffs, this is my assesment on who to trust.

Starters

Kemba Walker: Luckily Kemba looks like he's fully healthy. He'll be targeted on defense, despite that he should still be a positive on the floor. Unfortunately he plays more like an undersized shooting guard than as point guard who can raise the game of others with his playmaking. I view his contract as a negative, but I don't see a trade out there that makes the Celtics better and makes sense for the other team. Just have to hope his knees will hold up.

Jaylen Brown: His improvement is crucial for the title ambitions that the Celtics have the coming years. I thought Brown might struggle with the added defensive attention, but he has done really well. If he keeps up this level of play he should be an All Star and in previous playoff runs we could always count on him bringing his best. I'm confident now that Brown can be a second option on a contender.

Jayson Tatum: He's our best player. Only thing we need is patience. Right now as the go-to-guy he's not on par with Durant, Harden, James, Davis, Leonard, Antetokounmpo, Jokic or Doncic, which isn't a shot at him. No disgrace in that. The Celtics currently aren't a real contender, but they can become one if they keep developing. The aspect of Tatum's game that has to evolve is his playmaking. He'll never be a James/Doncic-type of point forward, but hopefully he can get to Hayward's level for example.

Robert Williams: This comes with an asterisk, I'll admit that, but with Timelord it always seems people are looking at him for signs why he can't play and then miss all the signs that show that he can. This season so far Timelord has been our 3rd best player and he's our future center if injuries don't derail him. Go give him his chance. With his high energy I'm not counting on him to play 30-35 minutes a game, but we'll have a good back-up center. When you see how valuable Capela is in this league, I then think Williams can do everything he can and a lot more!

Bench

Payton Pritchard: I liked the pick from the start and I love him now! A rookie ready to play. During the playoffs probably there will be moments when his inexperience will show and just like Kemba he'll find himself sometimes in peculiar defensive situations, but I trust him on the court. In fact I want Pritchard to handle much more responsibilty with the ball in hands. He kept the Celtics rolling against a quality opponent in the Toronto Raptors. For me he has surpassed Teague in the rotation easily.

Marcus Smart: Honestly I'm getting really frustrated with Marcus. He's taking 11 shots a game at 37% shooting!!! His tendency to play hero ball when the game is on the line is infuriating. I'm not sure if Stevens can reel him in or even tries to. If he can't then unfortunately we may have to look to trade Smart. He's a good player and has a lot of trading value, but if he can't clean up his game and accept his role instead of trying to expand his role he's going to cost the Celtics a game down the line which will hurt us big time.

Semi Ojeleye: I was ready to say goodbye to Ojeleye. But he stepped up. His shooting percentages may not have increased as that Knicks game (6 missed 3-pointers) hurts his percentage, it does look like that Ojeleye has become a reliable role player. He should never be the first guy of the bench, but he's useful as a 3-and-D wing on limited minutes.

Daniel Theis: Rather than trying to push our German into that power forward spot we should just give Theis the role every neutral NBA fan sees him: a quality back-up center. Theis is undersized to anchor a defense against elite competition and is too foul-prone, while he lacks the skill to be a starting power forward. However as a versatile back-up center he can be really valuable. I am a bit afraid that he may cost a lot in the off-season as Celtics players tend to get paid in free agency, but otherwise he can have a long career in Boston.

X-Factor

Romeo Langford: Our biggest need is on the wing. With two recent lottery picks spent for that position you'd hope that this problem will solve itself. A big factor is a guy who unfortunately isn't a factor on the court at all due to injuries. We saw some defensive potential from Langford last year, so maybe he can be a guy that can provide some minutes? It's a huge question mark, especially since his jumpshot seems years away, but who knows? It would be a welcome surprise.

Unplayable

Jeff Teague: When some Wolves fans warned me that Teague was a very frustrating player to watch and that they were happy he was gone from Minnesota that worried me. If you look at that Wolves roster and then fans tell you that Teague was holding them back, it's saying something. Unfortunately it looks like they have been right. As a 3rd string point guard useful when Walker needs to load manage, but to make sure Stevens doesn't overplay him it might be best if Ainge could get rid of him. Definitely a downgrade from Brad Wanamaker.

Carsen Edwards: He will not have a future with the Celtics. It's just a matter of time until he's cut or traded.

Javonte Green: I like Green's defense. He's a likeably guy anyway, but until he can develop a decent jumpshot I don't think he can play in a playoff rotation. He's fine though to have on minimum contract as an end-of-the-roster player.

Aaron Nesmith: I didn't want him with that 14th pick, which likely has been our last lottery pick for years to come. He's not NBA-ready, his trademark 3-pointer isn't a sure thing and he doesn't bring anything else to the table. However a lottery pick has to developed, so I'd still want him to get 10-15 minutes a game to get adjusted to the NBA pace. During the playoffs we won't see him. Nesmith is also a prime candidate for me in a trade to get a playoff-rotation-player.

Grant Williams: Grant has a great BBIQ. Maybe his future as an (assistant)-coach could be bigger than his NBA career. He's just way too undersized to have an impact on the court. He can't guard true bigs in the post, while guards and wings often fly by. He doesn't rebound, shoot or pass. In fact Grant is one of the most unproductive players in the league. He's lucky to have Stevens as his coach because on most rosters he would hardly get any playing time. The Celtics need to upgrade this position.

Tristan Thompson: I don't care that he was our big free agent signing or that he is an NBA champion. He simply isn't good enough. The Celtics defense will never leave mediocrity when Thompson is supposed to anchor our defense. And to shoehorn Theis in the PF spot to accommodate for Thompson's shortcoming has proven not to be a solution! The only thing Thompson is good at is rebounding.

He can't protect the rim, can't guard big centers, can't guard guards/wings, can't shoot, can't pass and is a bad finisher inside. He's a big disappointment and as I expected we kind of miss Enes Kanter, who despite his limitations is a better NBA player than Thompson. Some would say we should keep Thompson as insurance, but that almost never works out. Players get unhappy when they receive multiple DNPs (which he deserves). Maybe Tacko Fall as 3rd string center will do.

Need:

A low-usage wing to start alongside our stars Walker, Brown and Tatum. Someone who can stretch the court, but doesn't hurt you on defense. Use the TPE (trade Thompson to clear enough salary) to get that type of player. Hopefully Ojeleye and Langford will be able to be dependable contributors and otherwise look at the buy-out-market for some veteran help. The team is thin, but it's possible to make a deep run in the playoffs (not winning though). Staff and managent do need to make some tough decisions. What to do with Smart? And please stop playing Teague, G.Williams and Thompson so much.