Now is Not the Time to Panic for the Celtics

The Celtics just got bumped from the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in four years, this time by the Miami Heat. Going into the series it seemed like this might be the year they finally overcame that hump and made it to the finals. Yet, here we are, always the bridesmaid. For many franchises, three conference finals losses might warrant a reset, but for this young Celtics squad, it still felt like they were a year too early to compete with LeBron and the Lakers out west. The first reaction from many fans is to blow the team up if they don’t win immediately—championship windows are typically very short. This Celtics team, however, was never built to contend now. The fact that Tatum and Brown have been so ahead of schedule has allowed Boston’s front office to go get pieces (Kemba Walker & Gordon Hayward) that give them the chance to make deep playoff runs. Their best players, however, are 22 and 23 years old, and they have a litany of prospects that should continue to improve alongside their young core.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are very good at basketball. They should continue to get better. This is widely accepted. I’m not going to discuss it further. Instead, I’d like to talk about the rest of the young Celtics. This is a team that touts depth as one of its greatest strength, and was just sent packing by a team with arguably superior depth. Don’t panic just yet, though, because the Celtics have surrounded their young stars with equally young role players. Brad Wanamaker (31) has heart and plays decent perimeter defense. With his one-year contract expiring though, I don’t think many would be remiss to see his minutes replaced by someone younger and—for lack of a more accurate adjective—better. Those minutes could come from G-League Rookie of the Year Tremont Waters (22), who averaged 18.0 points and 7.3 assists this season with the Maine Red Claws. Maybe Romeo Langford (20) or Carsen Edwards (22), who both saw decent minutes in the regular season as rookies, can fill the backup point guard role. Marcus Smart should continue to be a good secondary playmaker off the bench, but unless his shot selection improves, he shouldn’t be running the offense. The C’s have plenty of solid young options here, so their depth at the guard spots should continue to trend positively.

The greatest area of need for this Celtics squad is at center. Daniel Theis and Enes Kanter are both solid rotation centers, but they were exposed in the conference finals against Bam Adebayo. I hate to imagine how badly Anthony Davis would’ve punished them if they’d made the finals. Theis and Kanter are both 28, and at this point in their careers, they are what they are. Robert Williams (22) could offer some relief here if he continues to progress. Grant Williams (21) made a positive impact in the conference finals, with the Celtics going +16 during one stretch when he checked into game 6. The Williams, however, are just 6’8” and 6’6”, respectively. They would presumably struggle to contain elite bigs like Davis, Adebayo, and Nikola Jokic, who are all positioned to be major factors in the playoffs for years to come. The one guy on this roster who has the potential to lock them up is fan-favorite Tacko Fall. At a towering 7’5” and just 24 years old, Fall could be one of the elite defensive centers in basketball if he continues to develop. His game, however, is raw as steak tartare, and it may take several years before he’s ready to contribute. Theis and Kanter’s contracts will both come off the books after next season. If the Celtics spend any money in free agency the next couple of years, or make a trade to fill a need, they should undoubtedly acquire a big, defensive-minded center. Hell, it’s 2020, they could even get a stretch five to help spread the floor for Boston’s bevy of talented scorers. Any upgrade at the center position would go a long way towards Boston’s title aspirations.

One of the sillier things I’ve seen come out of this loss has been Celtics fans calling for the team to move on from Brad Stevens. Most Celtics fans, I think, are aware that this is probably a bad idea. To the vocal minority calling for Stevens’ head, I urge you to take a deep breath and consider the past five years. This was the first time in this five year playoff stretch that the Celtics lost a series they were favored in, and favored is a strong word against a scorching hot Heat team that swept the Pacers in the first round and took out the top-seeded Bucks in five games. Last year, the team had chemistry issues and lost to a very good Bucks team in the second round. The year before that, the Celtics—sans Kyrie and Hayward—took the LeBron-led Cavs to seven games on the backs of 20 and 21 year old Tatum and Brown. In 2017, Isaiah Thomas took them all the way to the conference finals before getting injured and bowing out to LeBron and Kyrie. The Celtics have consistently overachieved under Brad Stevens, and to punish him for getting a young team deep into the playoffs every year is folly of the highest order.

The Boston Celtics have been one of the more enviable franchises in the NBA over the past five years. With their vast coiffeur of young assets and draft picks, many people expected them to cash in and compete for a championship right away. Danny Ainge has assessed his prospects, and he clearly thinks his team has enough pieces to contend for many years to come. With Kemba and Hayward turning 31 next year, the window for this specific iteration of the team may be closed in a year or two. Tatum and Brown, however, are just entering their primes, if they’ve even reached them yet. The Celtics have been playing the long game, and playing it well. It would be a shame to see them abandon ship at this stage, when they’re so close to their ultimate goal.

-Joseph DiPietro

All stats taken from basketball-reference.com