Well, this past season didn't end the way we wanted it to, but it was a pretty decent season overall.
The 2015-2016 Celts were a hard-working, mostly lovable bunch with some really rad strengths and some really wince-worthy weaknesses. Those weaknesses were on display in the first round loss to the Hawks, but were noticeable all season long.
Those weaknesses included, in particular:
- Poor defensive rebounding
- Poor shooting, especially from three point territory
- Not very many free throw attempts (relative to overall field goal attempts)
This summer, the Celts have three notable free agents, each of whom is in some way representative of these weaknesses:
- Jared Sullinger, a big man with an absolutely pathetic Effective Field Goal Percentage (well below 50%).
- Evan Turner, a ball-dominant player with a relatively low Effective Field Goal Percentage and an abysmal shooting percentage from beyond the arc.
- Tyler Zeller, a big man with a poor overall rebounding percentage, especially on the defensive glass, considering he's a pure center.
Like every team, the Celts will look to improve this summer. Obviously the overarching goal from that vantage point will be to upgrade the talent level on the roster, specifically by targeting high usage, high minutes stars who can carry a load on both ends to make life easier for the Celts' many young role players.
Acquiring stars is difficult, though. At the very least, the Celts need to make it a goal to move on from the three free agents mentioned above and replace them with the following:
- A quality defensive rebounder who can also finish at a decent rate.
- A honest-to-goodness outside shooter, i.e. takes and makes lots of shots from deep.
- A player who can take and make lots of shots (from anywhere) with decent efficiency, while also getting to the line.
I'd like to note that what the Celts could really, really use is a wing or frontcourt player who is a quality rebounder, an above average shooter from everywhere, including three point territory, and who gets to the line frequently.
Unfortunately, players fitting that description are almost invariably stars. So yeah, of course that's what they need.
There is one player who is a free agent this summer and who, to at least some extent, addresses each area.
Luol Deng.
He shoots 34% from three, his free throw rate is 25.7%, his defensive rebound rate is OK for a wing (15.4%), and his EFG% is 51.3. He only scores 13.7 points per 36 minutes these days, though. Luol is your classic Jack-of-All-Trades.
He'd help, but the Celts really need to add some guys with stand-out strengths.
In that vein, here are some names that could possibly be available via free agency -- or trade, noted by an asterisk -- that the Celts perhaps ought to consider.
Rebounder / Finishers
(>20 DR% and >50 EFG%)
- Dwight Howard
- Hassan Whiteside
- Ian Mahinmi
- Tyson Chandler*
- Marcin Gortat*
- Kenneth Faried*
- Jon Leuer*
- Bismack Biyombo
- Greg Monroe
- Thaddeus Young
Shooters
(>36 3P% and > 1.5 3P per 36 min)
- Mirza Teletovic
- Eric Gordon
- Terrence Ross
- Hollis Thompson*
- Ryan Anderson
- Marvin Williams
- Evan Fournier
- Ersan Ilyasova
- Jared Dudley
Shot Taker / Maker
(>15 Points per 36 min; >1 3P per 36 min; >33 3P%; >20% FTR)
- Lou Williams*
- Gerald Henderson
- Omri Casspi*
- Evan Fournier
- Rudy Gay*
- Ryan Anderson
- Eric Gordon
- Mirza Teletovic
What do you think? Do you have any players in mind who fit the descriptions above that aren't listed?
Again, it's obvious that what the Celts need to add in order to reach contention is a "star," probably multiple "stars."
This is an attempt to identify what the Celts are lacking overall beyond "star power," and how those shortcomings might be addressed this summer regardless of which stars do or do not become available.
Topic: The Three Players the Celts Must Add This Summer (Read 7483 times)