The uniform, which is white with thick green stripes, features the full name in Futura Condensed stacked in front, and Red Auerbach's signature and quote "The Boston Celtics are not a … A four-game homestand before the All-Star break gave the Boston Celtics the perfect opportunity to put a month-long funk behind them and push … But he has also shown growth in an array of skills that hint at a stronger future in the league than his cohort member out of Purdue, so we’ll grant him a “C+”. If ever recognition was in order for making the postseason, it was in 2019-20 when the end of the season and playoffs had to be held in a bubble hosted by Disney in its Wide World of Sports complex outside of Orlando, Florida.. Jackie MacMullan thinks there's slim to no chance the Celtics can acquire Hawks' big man John Collins ... 2020-06-21T15:00:09Z. You'll now receive the top Celtics Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. With a little more than a quarter of the season having been played, we have enough data to give early grades on the play of individual Boston Celtics players.. Seventeen games into the 2020-21 NBA season, we see the Celtics are collectively a young team with the defensive, energy and focus issues you would expect a younger team to have. WATCH: Is Celtics star wing Jaylen Brown untouchable now? The Boston Celtics are a team in relative disarray. The Boston Celtics were among those 16 teams who were still playing when the regular season ended, and to celebrate that, new earned edition jerseys have been … C+. One of the players most impacted by the arrival of Thompson, Williams has struggled as Theis has been playing more of the 4 this season. The 2020–21 Celtics' "City" uniform was patterned after the 17 championship banners that adorn the TD Garden rafters. https://t.co/yekbHbvthT, — The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) January 28, 2021. it's safe to say the team and the player have probably looked back at the split and had some second thoughts. As we noted with Nesmith, it’s a big ask to expect rookies to contribute much to a contender, yet Pritchard has been one of Boston’s best players off the bench when healthy. Quick: Over the cap. And while the health aspect matters much, he’s been a bit up-and-down, and so far has earned a B+. It’s hard to blame Thompson for what has limited him — little time and bad luck making getting conditioning and learning the system a challenge. The Kings also limited the Celtics to two buckets over the final 2:26 after Jayson Tatum’s tying 3-pointer. Despite their plus-.500 record, this shamrocks squad has looked nothing like the team that took the Miami Heat to six games in the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals and, as we’ve known for quite some time now, they’ll likely need to make some moves in order to have a shot at recapturing such success. With a little more than a quarter of the season having been played, we have enough data to give early grades on the play of individual Boston Celtics players. And while most trade rumors ought to be taken with a grain of salt at this time of year, with Boston's frontcourt crunch having forced head coach Brad Stevens into a plan moving forward of juggling minutes to only... You knew the LaMarcus Aldridge — Boston Celtics trade whispers were going to come; it was only a matter of time. While he can still turn it around, he’s mostly disappointed to date — D. Theis has been asked to sacrifice maybe more than anyone on the team, and while he struggled in a new role at the 4 early, he also embraced it and can play the position mostly comfortably — and sometimes very well. 15 Most Clutch Players in Franchise History, the magnitude of said moves ranges from big, forfeit their chances at any blockbuster transactions. And who can blame them? On the season, the 13-year veteran is posting averages of 7.5 points, five rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game on 49 percent shooting from the floor in just 15 minutes of action. While he’s had good games, he’s also had long stretches of mediocre play. Given how little opportunity he’s had, that’s good for a C-. Home Atlantic Division 3 trade scenarios for Boston Celtics before the deadline ... Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford are all big name players that have been a part of the Celtics organization over the years and all have shared the same fate with Boston — no championship. With the fact that the roster already has a few big men in tow who provide similar attributes to what the athletic 7-footer provides, we get your reasoning. In the Most Improved Player, All-Star and maybe even All-NBA conversation, Brown deserves nothing less than an A. Edwards has shown signs of growth at just the right moment to help him stick in the NBA, but if he doesn’t show them more consistently, it may not be enough. Leonard is currently averaging 26.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game and could be one to watch out for against the Boston Celtics. The NBA officially released the second half of the 2020-21 schedule on Wednesday. Should this become a reality, and the team’s front office stays quiet by the time the trade deadline rolls around — something they often tend to do in such dealings –, it would likely shift Boston’s attention more towards the buyout market. However, to say there aren’t any rumored candidates for such an ouster that could be of some benefit to this Boston Celtics team would be an absolute farce. Many fewer mistakes, better passing, shooting and all-around court awareness hints Boston may have its center of the future already. Having returned so recently, an incomplete might be fairer, but Walker has done what’s needed to to prepare for the season even if it rubs his competitive spirit the wrong way. A 3x NBA Champion, most recently with the Los Angeles Lakers, McGee would bring extensive postseason experience, hustle, and incredible defensive tenacity to this Cs team that is struggling to find their identity as a legitimate contender. Should Jaylen Brown get his first All-Star nod for 2021? Seventeen games into the 2020-21 NBA season, we see the Celtics are collectively a young team with the defensive, energy and focus issues you would expect a younger team to have. WATCH: Kara Lawson adds to an impressive resume as Duke head coach, Celtics Lab 34: Buying or selling trade rumors ahead of the deadline, WATCH: Robert Williams III scores 14 points, 9 boards vs. Jazz (3/16), Utah's bench shines as the Jazz outlast the Celtics, 117-109, Thompson joins Langford in health, safety protocols ahead of Jazz tilt, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. They also have one of the league’s more high-powered offenses, and have potential to be a title contender if they can figure some of the defensive issues out. Time Lord has shined even in his limited opportunities, to the point it may be time to start asking when he gets more of them. B+. But there are still games where heat-check Smart returns, so for now he’s looking at a B. Hard-capped by the Tristan Thompson non-taxpayer mid-level contract. His scoring — and almost everything else — is at career-high levels. Despite their plus-.500 record, this shamrocks squad has looked nothing like the team that took the Miami Heat to six games in the 2020 … Though the magnitude of said moves ranges from big to small — depending on whom you ask –, ultimately a consensus belief is that changes must be made to this roster sometime in the near future. Again, though best served as a target for the franchise if they opt to unload some of their current options they tend to roll out at the pivot — Daniel Theis is a name that’s been discussed by the media –, JaVale McGee is still a player worth keeping an eye on moving forward. After the veteran big man and his team, the San Antonio Spurs, came to an agreement it was time for both to move on, someone's agent or an opposing front office would try to use the Celtics' possession of a $28.5 million traded player exception (TPE) as potential leverage. Today, we take a look at 3 centers — arguably the biggest position of need for Beantown — that could both realistically be bought out by their respective teams and who could be of serious service to the Celtics: We understand that in the past when we’ve discussed the idea of the Boston Celtics pursuing the likes of JaVale McGee, fans have not always been the most receptive to the concept. Fall, like Edwards, hasn’t had much opportunity this season to shine. There’s little room to grow for guys who can’t help the team win now, and it’s too much to expect a player who spent most of the last year not playing to do so. Green has had a little more run than some of his other deep rotation teammates. The Boston Celtics has undoubtedly been a big … 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, is enjoying a stellar sophomore season, averaging 25 points on 62% shooting with 6.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. But he’s a leader on this team, and while we expect him to get to where he wants to be sooner than later, what we’ve seen so far isn’t quite enough, either. It seems like there is a good chance the Tristan Thompson era of the Boston Celtics could be coming to a close based on recent reporting from Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes. Smart has matured a lot, and it’s paying off this season when he picks his shots with care, deferring to the trio of high-powered offensive threats that are Brown, Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker. A-. Given the extra run, that amounts to a C+. Celtics-Nets and Warriors-Clippers are the first national TV games. https://celticswire.usatoday.com/lists/nba-boston-celtics-1st-quarter-report-card/, WATCH: Celtic point guard Payton Pritchard's best plays on his birthday, San Antonio Spurs catch Boston Celtics napping on defense, win 110 - 106. While it might be repetitive, it can’t be said enough there’s little room to grow this season for players such as Waters. He’s shown some promise recently, but until he gets out of his own head, a C- feels about right. And with the exit of former teammate Gordon Hayward to the Charlotte Hornets last offseason, a traded player exception (TPE) the size of Horford's contract just so happens to open the window to a reunion, should the Celtics think it wise to bring back the beloved big man at the trade deadline. Boston Celtics: The Cs are the NBA’s most disappointing team in 2020-21. by Nathanael Rutherford 2 weeks ago Follow @Mr_Rutherford. NBA Rumors: Boston Celtics Can Create The Supernova Offense: The Big 4; This Would Be The Greatest 3-Point Contest In NBA History: Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving; NBA Rumors: 5 Best Targets For The Miami Heat Right Now; 10 NBA Superstars Who Forced A Trade: Anthony Davis To Lakers, Kawhi Leonard To Raptors He could easily move into A territory in a hurry, but needs to remain more consistent with his shooting and aggression — B-. Please check your email for a confirmation. That said, there are many who are under the impression that Danny Ainge and co. will once again stick to their guns this trade season and ultimately forfeit their chances at any blockbuster transactions. But we are here today to look at the team in a more discrete, player-oriented way. He has off nights frequently enough to get a bit of a ding, but even then merits a B+. Like the expectations of this year’s trade market, it isn’t likely that we’ll be finding too many top-tier names being bought out any time soon. But Nesmith is showing solid growth despite the lack of opportunity, rating him a straight C. For a few games in a row, it appeared the SMU product was going to be the answer for the reserve 4 for the team, but he’s since cooled off. Often throughout this season, we here at the Houdini have gone about discussing ordeals such as trades that could hypothetically take place to bring on that much-needed talent addition to help spark something new and positive within this Cs team. In the season and a half since Al Horford's departure from the Boston Celtics. Sign up for the Celtics Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. We expect him to warm up as the season moves on, but for now, he’s earned a B. We’re not sure what’s behind the veteran’s inconsistent play, but some nights he’s draining everything — and others he kicks the ball off his foot and doesn’t even try to recover it. They also have one of the league’s more high … Jan 7, 2021; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Andre Drummond (3) and Cleveland Cavaliers center JaVale McGee (6) during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports, Boston Celtics Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports. The second half of the Celtics' 2020-21 season begins March 11, exactly one year after COVID-19 halted the 2019-20 regular season. This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Williamson, the No. The Boston Celtics are a team in relative disarray. The University of Florida product is earning $27.5 million this... Start every day with our most popular content waiting in your inbox. The NBA insider relates that the Celtics may "trade their starting center by the March 25 trade deadline, with the Toronto Raptors being a possible destination". Follow us on Facebook! “Defensively, that has to be our hallmark,” Barnes said. However, should the front office believe that these aforementioned players are not the answers down low — we all know they’re not –, they could feasibly look to trade some of them for other rotation players to better fill out the roster such as a wing which, in turn, would work in favor of the concept of bringing on the 33-year-old. That said, he’s had more rough stretches than good ones, so it’s hard to grade the LSU product above a C-. Having had COVID-19, he gets a bit of a pass — but as great as Tatum can be, the aggressiveness and confidence of last season has been lacking, and the shot selection hasn’t been great for a player who needs to draw more fouls. Through 34 games, the 6 … Irving scores 40, Nets beat Celtics 121-109 — Kyrie Irving scored 40 points to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 121-109 victory over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.