Marcus Smart saw what everyone else was seeing during the NBA Finals: the Celtics just didn't have enough depth.
In a recent interview with The Athletic's Jared Weiss, the tenacious point guard said the starters were stretched too thin last season, partially due to their own poor play. The Celtics were forced to surge up the standings after a mediocre start to the season.
"I think depth was one of the big things that hurt us," said Smart. "You had me, Jayson [Tatum], Jaylen [Brown] and our starters playing, clawing [up the standings] and we did it to ourselves."
Indeed. Tatum, who ranked fourth in the NBA in total minutes last season, looked especially fatigued during the Finals. It was apparent that Steph Curry had much more stamina during the most important games of the season.
The Celtics bench was a virtual non-factor during the Finals and struggled all season, averaging just 28.5 points per game — 26th in the NBA. To improve their second-unit, the Celtics acquired Malcolm Brogdon from the Pacers, and signed sharpshooting veteran Danilo Gallinari in free agency.
Unfortunately, Gallinari could miss all of the season due to a torn ACL. The Celtics have been linked to Carmelo Anthony in recent weeks, though a move seems unlikely at this time.
Either way, the Celtics' starters need more help.
"We put ourselves in that situation early on (last season), having to fight back through injuries and stuff," said Smart. "Being able to have that depth of guys who are experienced and understand the game such as Gallo and Brogdon definitely will help us with that."
Celtics training camp begins at the end of the month.
