Craft your 2022-23 Celtics Roster – (20-Man Off-Season)

[MrGreenRunsDeep]

Upgrade the bench… cut everyone keep PP and Williams. Trade everyone …

[Fencer reregistered]

Again with the exhaustion.

Ime has 4 perimeter players he trusts, which isn't enough against opponents that make him want to go single-big. Pritchard has regressed to dribbling out of bounds once per game, and isn't hitting his shots, with short playing time accordingly. Nesmith of course isn't in the rotation at all.

Whether internally or externally, the perimeter rotation needs to be deepened.

[hugepatsfan]

I thought the Payton Pritchard minutes early last night were telling. Very indicative of what needs to improve from a personnel standpoint. I don't mean to trash him individually because he's certainly not THE issue. He's a fine 10th man in the regular season, but he's just not a nightly playoff rotation guy. They NEED a player in that role who can give them 15-20 minutes a night spacing the floor. That will limit some of the exhaustion for the main guys and also give more lineup flexibility to get shooting on the floor to ease the on-ball pressure teams can put on Tatum/Brown.

Personnel wise, that's really the only spot in the rotation to improve without making more significant changes.

[CelticFaninLBC]

Biggest need is a third scorer.

Steph was off last night and GSW still had Klay, Wiggins, and Poole. If the Jay's are cold, Boston doesn't have much firepower.

Would be nice if ownership spends more next year.

[GoCeltics123]

Jordan Clarkson on the Fournier TPE next year

[JR Hawks]

Why would we assume keeping Smart? He's not at the star level of Tatum and Brown. He's a very tradable role player. And given our desperate need for a point guard that can run the offense, he's one of several guys (along with Rob, Horford, Grant, White, Pritchard, Theis, & Nesmith) that will have to be considered in trades to take the next step.

[hugepatsfan]

https://www.si.com/fannation/nba/fastbreak/news/opinion-the-boston-celtics-need-to-trade-for-this-former-rookie-of-the-year

Therefore, it's safe to say they have built an elite roster.
However, I believe that for next season if they want to remain as a true contender, they need to add a true point guard into the mix.
One of the players that I believe they should take a look at is 2016 Rookie of The Year Malcolm Brogdon.

Brogdon fits this team like a glove if healthy. Capable third scorer, can space the floor for the J's, big enough to switch as a PG. He's never healthy though. IDK if you can trade a key piece like Smart or White for him, which you'd need to do. There's just too high a chance you end up with a guy in street clothes come playoff time. He's as bad as Hayward is/was in that way.

[JR Hawks]

https://www.si.com/fannation/nba/fastbreak/news/opinion-the-boston-celtics-need-to-trade-for-this-former-rookie-of-the-year

Therefore, it's safe to say they have built an elite roster.
However, I believe that for next season if they want to remain as a true contender, they need to add a true point guard into the mix.
One of the players that I believe they should take a look at is 2016 Rookie of The Year Malcolm Brogdon.

Brogdon fits this team like a glove if healthy. Capable third scorer, can space the floor for the J's, big enough to switch as a PG. He's never healthy though. IDK if you can trade a key piece like Smart or White for him, which you'd need to do. There's just too high a chance you end up with a guy in street clothes come playoff time. He's as bad as Hayward is/was in that way.

It's a stretch to say White is a key piece. His transition to and productivity for the Celtics has been disappointing.

[hugepatsfan]

Jordan Clarkson on the Fournier TPE next year

He's a huge liability on defense. Not sure Ime would let him play any bigger a role than Pritchard has this postseason.

[WeLikeOurGuys]

Bradley Beal
Jayson Tatum
Jaylen Brown
Fill in the rest.

[GoCeltics123]

Jordan Clarkson on the Fournier TPE next year

He's a huge liability on defense. Not sure Ime would let him play any bigger a role than Pritchard has this postseason.

This team needs a pure bucket getter off the bench so badly, I think PP is solid but he's been exposed in these playoffs since he's so incosistent.

Burks/Clarkson/etc. someone like that is really needed on this team, a lot more than Brad Beal imo

[Parliament10]

Why would we assume keeping Smart? He's not at the star level of Tatum and Brown. He's a very tradable role player. And given our desperate need for a point guard that can run the offense, he's one of several guys (along with Rob, Horford, Grant, White, Pritchard, Theis, & Nesmith) that will have to be considered in trades to take the next step.

You think that it's a good idea to Trade the Defensive Player of the Year?
I think that we pretty much run it back, with the Top 10 Guys, that got us to the NBA Finals.

I mean, why mess with it?
The Bottom 7, OK. -- But, I wouldn't tweak the Top 10 too much.

Proposed Rotation, To Open 2022-23:
Starters: Smart - - - Brown - Tatum - Horford - R. Williams
Rotation: Pritchard - White - Nesmith - Grant - Theis


Reserves: Thomas - Stauskas - Hauser - Fitts - Kornet
Two-Ways: Rookie - - - - - - Ryan?

[Parliament10]

Why is Pritchard ahead of White in the POLL?

[JR Hawks]

Why would we assume keeping Smart? He's not at the star level of Tatum and Brown. He's a very tradable role player. And given our desperate need for a point guard that can run the offense, he's one of several guys (along with Rob, Horford, Grant, White, Pritchard, Theis, & Nesmith) that will have to be considered in trades to take the next step.

You think that it's a good idea to Trade the Defensive Player of the Year?
I think that we pretty much run it back, with the Top 10 Guys, that got us to the NBA Finals.

I mean, why mess with it?
The Bottom 7, OK. -- But, I wouldn't tweak the Top 10 too much.

Proposed Rotation, To Open 2022-23:
Starters: Smart - - - Brown - Tatum - Horford - R. Williams
Rotation: Pritchard - White - Nesmith - Grant - Theis


Reserves: Thomas - Stauskas - Hauser - Fitts - Kornet
Two-Ways: Rookie - - - - - - Ryan?

That lineup isn't getting through the East/healthy Bucks. And Ime would be pretty pissed at Brad for expecting that lineup as he doesn't trust Theis/Pritchard/Nesmith enough to play them.

[hugepatsfan]

Why would we assume keeping Smart? He's not at the star level of Tatum and Brown. He's a very tradable role player. And given our desperate need for a point guard that can run the offense, he's one of several guys (along with Rob, Horford, Grant, White, Pritchard, Theis, & Nesmith) that will have to be considered in trades to take the next step.

You think that it's a good idea to Trade the Defensive Player of the Year?
I think that we pretty much run it back, with the Top 10 Guys, that got us to the NBA Finals.

I mean, why mess with it?
The Bottom 7, OK. -- But, I wouldn't tweak the Top 10 too much.

Proposed Rotation, To Open 2022-23:
Starters: Smart - - - Brown - Tatum - Horford - R. Williams
Rotation: Pritchard - White - Nesmith - Grant - Theis


Reserves: Thomas - Stauskas - Hauser - Fitts - Kornet
Two-Ways: Rookie - - - - - - Ryan?

What do you mean by "run it back"? Still on the roster, or in the same role?

The proof is really in the pudding with Ime's playoff rotation... he doesn't view Pritchard, Nesmith or Theis as viable players. In do or die situations he's gone as short as a 7 man rotation (starters, Grant, White).

I'm fully on board bringing each of the top 7 players back as key contributors. I'm fully on board with the next 3 guys coming back too on the roster. But we shouldn't be relying on Pritchard/Theis/Nesmith to be our #8/9/10 players next year. You need to give Ime the option to go 8 deep in the playoffs. 7 is too short a rotation. We've got to be actively scouting the market for someone who can slot in #8 (or higher) in our playoff rotation.

[neno]

Vet min Carmelo Anthony?

[hugepatsfan]

Why would we assume keeping Smart? He's not at the star level of Tatum and Brown. He's a very tradable role player. And given our desperate need for a point guard that can run the offense, he's one of several guys (along with Rob, Horford, Grant, White, Pritchard, Theis, & Nesmith) that will have to be considered in trades to take the next step.

I'm not opposed to moving him. You could definitely stand to upgrade over Smart on the offensive end. But he's very uniquely capable of switching as a point guard. To get a guy who brings the offensive juice it sounds like you want, but also that defensive versatility will be tough. If you make the call to improve the offense, then you probably have to make significant switches to the defensive schemes we run. This is the stage of team building that gets difficult though because the roster is no longer a blank canvas. If you're subtracting someone off the roster to improve one skill set, you need to be very aware of the trade offs you're making in other skill sets. It's not just about "go get a better player" anymore. You have to specifically work everything about that player, offensively and defensively, into your schemes and alongside the core of players remaining around him. So all tradeoffs need to be considered.

I'm always open to improvements, but for me I've seen enough stretches of VERY HIGH END basketball in the second half of the year and into the playoffs that I'd look to make moderate changes first. I'd like to give it another offseason to let the good habits we've displayed since the midseason turnaround get further engrained into memories and try to make it the default to how they play basketball vs. these temporary lapses they have into bad habits. For the temporary dark stretches, the overwhelming majority of the last 5 and a half months has been great basketball both offensively and defensively. They've been phenomenal overall and we shouldn't let the bad stretches overshadow that.

I'm not 100% married to the idea of keeping every player, but my plan of attack would be to use the TPE (and picks depending on the player) to add a well-fitting, reliable 8th man to the rotation. Bring that group to training camp, see if they build on the good habits of this year. It feels like we do the right think like 85% of the time but in times of extreme in-game adversity they revert back to old tendencies. That's normal, old habits die hard. Like I said, give it one more training camp and full season with this group to see if they can make the good habits their new default. But if not, then look to make bigger-scale changes.

[Fencer reregistered]

One relevant data point for those conversations: In 2019, when Jazz CEO of basketball operations Danny Ainge was still the president of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics, they held serious draft night trade discussions with the Houston Rockets about acquiring Clint Capela for Marcus Smart and the No. 22 pick, sources told B/R. The agreed-in-principle deal ultimately fell short, but the Rockets were targeting Brandon Clarke before the Memphis Grizzlies swept in to steal the Gonzaga product at No. 21.

Obviously, if this is true, he could have done it with #20 as well. So one way to spin it is that we might have had Capela instead of Smart, Grant, and the failed pick of Edwards. Also obvious, for reasons of roster balance, is that other things would have wound up different too.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10038623-latest-nba-intel-sources-expect-zach-lavine-to-re-sign-with-chicago-bulls

[Hal14]

Why would we assume keeping Smart? He's not at the star level of Tatum and Brown. He's a very tradable role player. And given our desperate need for a point guard that can run the offense, he's one of several guys (along with Rob, Horford, Grant, White, Pritchard, Theis, & Nesmith) that will have to be considered in trades to take the next step.

You think that it's a good idea to Trade the Defensive Player of the Year?
I think that we pretty much run it back, with the Top 10 Guys, that got us to the NBA Finals.

I mean, why mess with it?
The Bottom 7, OK. -- But, I wouldn't tweak the Top 10 too much.

Proposed Rotation, To Open 2022-23:
Starters: Smart - - - Brown - Tatum - Horford - R. Williams
Rotation: Pritchard - White - Nesmith - Grant - Theis


Reserves: Thomas - Stauskas - Hauser - Fitts - Kornet
Two-Ways: Rookie - - - - - - Ryan?

That lineup isn't getting through the East/healthy Bucks. And Ime would be pretty pissed at Brad for expecting that lineup as he doesn't trust Theis/Pritchard/Nesmith enough to play them.

1) we weren't healthy when we beat the bucks this postseason.

2) theis is our 3rd string center. most teams only play 1 or 2 bigs consistently, not 3. It's not that Udoka doesn't trust Theis. It's that he's our 3rd big so he's only gonna play heavy mins if rob or al is out. If rob and al are both healthy, he's only gonna play spot mins here or there, depending on matchups

3) Nesmith and Pritchard are only in their 2nd year in the league. most players make a pretty good leap from year 2 to year 3 (just look at grant, rob, jaylen, tatum, etc). Pritchard has been in the rotation consistently during these playoffs though

I'm not expecting monumental changes this offseason. Just small tweaks. Unless we make a move for Beal..

[Spotter]

If the Celtics win the championship they will be a tax team for the 2021-22 season. Certainly ownership would gladly pay the tax this year to be champs. How will that impact how far they would venture into the tax for the 2022-23 season? It seems the Celtics will be a tax team in 2022-23 no matter what. It is my understanding that if you are a tax payer three out of four seasons that will trigger the repeater tax fee. So the Celtics win the championship and they pay the tax. I venture a guess they just run it back and be a tax payer in 2022-23. If they fall short they are not a tax payer and get the ten million tax payout. Do they feel the need to add to the roster since they got close to cutting down the nets? If so the 17 mil TPE comes into play or the tax payer exception to adding a bench player to fulfill that spot Nesmith has not grabbed hold of up to this point. Someone that can play that 3/4 spot is my guess. I feel as if that is the spot to try and upgrade. Someone off the bench that can fit between White and Grant Williams. Someone that pushes Pritchard/Theis ninth and tenth spot.