Brad Stevens wasn't dealt a strong hand this offseason. Coming off an immensely disappointing campaign, the Celtics entered free agency bereft of cap space and positivity.
But that didn't stop Stevens from improving the club. The Celtics are in a better position today than they were when Kyrie Irving stepped on "Lucky." Stevens' first offseason as the president of basketball operations has been a success.
Stevens' most consequential move might turn out being whom he selected to replace himself on the bench. Ime Udoka came to the Celtics with seven years of experience coaching under Gregg Popovich, and even more importantly, full-throated endorsements from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. While we still need to see how the Celtics respond to Udoka on the court, they already seem to be loving him.
Last month, Tatum and Udoka played 1-on-1 at a Team USA practice, with Tatum joking that his new coach "didn't have much luck" guarding him. Their bond seemed to only strengthen during the Olympics.
When Team USA was celebrating its gold medal, Tatum and Udoka both clapped back at Kevin Durant.
It's hard to envision Stevens partaking in that bromance.
KD: "There's gon be problems for the Boston Celtics this year!"
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) August 7, 2021
Tatum: "FOH"
Ime Udoka: "We know how to lock Patty ass up" 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/5zm9g86ESq
The Celtics' future prospects are tied to Tatum's happiness. If the young All-Star stays as a recruiter, the Celtics could soon find themselves back towards the top of the Eastern Conference. But if Tatum becomes discontent, he could torpedo the franchise for years to come.
With that in mind, Stevens' decision to play the long game is risky. But it was his only option. Danny Ainge bungled Gordon Hayward's historic trade exception and didn't leave Stevens with much flexibility. Yet, Stevens still found a way to improve the back court: picking up a desperate Dennis Schroder.
The playmaking guard, who turned down a four-year, $84 million extension from the Lakers last March, was reportedly in a "state of shock" over the lack of interest in his services. Boston was able to sign him for one year and $5.9 million, which is an incredible discount.
We know Schroder will be motivated to have a career season. He's been an excellent defender and dynamic scoring option for the last five years, averaging 17.4 points per game over that span. His best work came with the Thunder in 2019-20, when he averaged 18.9 points per game as the sixth-man.
Though Schroder could improve his 3-point shooting (he's a career 33.7% shooter from beyond the arc), he averaged 13.3 drives per game last season — more than anyone on the Celtics. He should give them some much-needed aggression on the offensive end.
Outside of scooping up Schroder, Stevens also deserves credit for getting out of Kemba Walker's deal, and turning him into Al Horford. Maybe Horford can rekindle his career in Boston.
Ironically, the Celtics just need him to be average to improve their weak front court.
Stevens' other veteran acquisition, Josh Richardson, struggled in Dallas last season. But he's an excellent defender, and should pair nicely with Marcus Smart if the C's need stops at the end of games.
As it stands now, the Celtics look like a mid-tier playoff team with plenty of cap room to pursue Bradley Beal next offseason. Maybe that plan won't pan out.
But at least we can see something coming together.
