Boston Celtics Interested in DeMarre Carroll

You can probably expect the Boston Celtics to be at least interested in pretty much every single player that will be available this offseason.

The most recent news is of DeMarre Carroll and it is rumored that the Celtics are on a short list of teams seriously considering him.

The Celtics certainly have the resources and ability to acquire Carroll. The Celtics should be able to offer him more money than the Atlanta Hawks would be but even if the Celtics are capable of prying him away from a team that is currently playing in the eastern conference finals, the bigger question is whether or not the Celtics should want him.

May 20, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll (5) reacts after a basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second quarter of game one of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The easy answer is that of course the Celtics want him. Carroll had a fantastic season with the Hawks and would be a great fit in Brad Stevens’ offense.

Carroll is a premier defender in the league and his ability to guard the opposing team’s top player could help the Celtics drastically. The Celtics maintained offensive success at a much better rate than defensive success last season so it would not be surprising at all if the Celtics go after top defenders this off season.

Carroll is also used to an offensive system with great ball movement where everyone should be a three point threat. Carroll shot from beyond the arc at a rate of 39.5% while taking 4.3 shots per game.

Carroll benefitted from a lot of open looks in the Hawks offense but given how the Celtics play, Boston would be able top expect Carroll to maintain his good shooting.

The biggest thing in the way of the Celtics going after Carroll is the presence of Jae Crowder who comes in at 1 inch shorter and 28 pounds heavier. Crowder and Carroll would both be playing the small forward position and even though Stevens often gets creative with his lineups it would be tough to see the two of the playing together.

The Celtics could potentially play Carroll at the power forward position (he is the same height as Brandon Bass) but that will only continue their rebounding woes.

The Celtic have already made it clear that they are interested in Jae Crowder long term and that is not a good sign for Carroll. The Celtics have a lot of money to spend but they should not throw too much at Carroll if he or Crowder will be playing off the bench.

Crowder is not quite the player Carroll is just yet but he is well on his way. Crowder did not shoot the three ball as well at Carroll but that is something he should be improving this off season.

Carroll may also be a slightly better defender at this current point in time but that may not last vey long. Crowder is arguably the top defender on the Celtics and they are hoping that he can sustain a high enough level of defense to be the one to constantly cover the opposing team’s best player.

Apr 23, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder (99) and forward Jared Sullinger (7) defend against Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) during the second half in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. The Cavaliers defeated the Celtics 103-95. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Considering they already have Crowder there is not much sense in the Celtics throwing a ton of money at Carroll. unfortunately, it is very unlikely that the Celtics could get Carroll away form Atlanta unless they throw absurd amounts of money in his direction.

The Celtics need to be wise with their cap space and even if they strike out on the top tier max contract free agents they are better off being patient than overpaying for a player that will not have enough of an impact, or be that much of an improvement over what they currently have.

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