Who’s ready for another play-in game?
That might be the best-case scenario for the Celtics next season, says Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. In an appearance Tuesday on OMF, the veteran NBA reporter said the Celtics are far away from being able to seriously compete in the Eastern Conference.
“I look at the team right now, and they’re the eighth seed, or in the play-in mix at this point,” he said. “Just go down the list. You make a list of teams that are at the top, and you’ve got some teams that have made significant improvements. Miami, bringing in Kyle Lowry, certainly makes them better. The Nets are going to be there; the Bucks are going to be there; the Sixers are going to be there; the Hawks just keep getting better. You keep coming up with teams that you would put ahead of Boston.”
It’s been a quiet offseason for the Celtics, who have added Josh Richardson, Kris Dunn and Bruno Fernando -- and yes, that’s it.
As of now, their top two point guards are Marcus Smart and Payton Pritchard. The front court basically consists of Robert Williams III, Al Horford and Luke Kornet.
Yes, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are great talents. But they aren’t good enough to pull a bunch of replacement-level players —or worse — back to contention.
“I still think something is coming. Something almost has to come,” Mannix said. “You can’t go into next season with Smart, Payton Pritchard. I’m now hearing the drumbeat of Yam Madar. I don’t think you can count on an international rookie to step in right away and be useful at the point guard position. The front court is still awfully thin now that Thompson is gone.”
The Celtics appear to be opting for a bridge year, which is a risky and uninspiring option. But it also might be their only path. They’re financially handicapped, and waiting to clear money for next offseason.
Thank you Danny Ainge, who bungled Gordon Hayward’s historic trade exception. The Celtics turned more than $28 million into 14 games of Evan Fournier and Richardson.
With Ime Udoka as head coach, the Celtics are hoping to put their disappointing 2020-21 campaign behind them. Brad Stevens started the retooling immediately, trading Kemba Walker in June.
But the fact is, the Celtics aren’t good enough. If Tatum or Brown gets hurt — Brown missed last postseason with a wrist injury — things could get ugly.
“There are just some areas that really need to be shored up before the season starts, or maybe it could get worse,” Mannix said. “They really are one injury to Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown away from sliding real deep into that pack. That’s not a line I think they want to walk.”