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Offense or Defense the Offseason Priority?

By Joshua Bateman

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There is no doubting that the Boston Celtics are in desperate need of defensive improvement this offseason. They had absolutely no presence in the paint and their offensive production blew their defensive production away.

That being said, it is not so clear if the Celtics should be going for offense or defense from free agents. As bad as the Celtics were defensively the likes of Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder are all formidable defenders.

Jae Crowder is expected to be the guy that can cover anyone on the opposing team but they have no starter who can take over offensively.

The problem is that the Celtics do not want to threaten their identity by going strictly after defense. Soemone like DeAndre Jordan would certainly make a substantial defensive difference but at what cost? The Celtics do not want their offensive flow to be stunted because they have a liability on the court.

May 17, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets in game seven of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Celtics can still improve defensively by targeting low key players such as Kosta Koufos but they may be better off offering the max contract to an offensive minded player.

Kevin Love and DeAndre Jordan could be an interesting comparison. One of them has all the offensive tools but none of the defensive ones, while the other has the complete opposite. Jordan is addressing a more pressing need but it cannot be ignored that the defensive big may be too disruptive to the Celtics offense.

It is a delicate balance attempting to find an impactful defensive player while maintaining the integrity of the offense. Stevens was able to use defensive minded players like Smart and Bradley but that is because they still have some ability to shoot the ball. Someone like Jordan will never be able to hit any kind of jump shot and the mid range game is vitally important to the Celtics’ offense.

There may be only one perfectly balanced player for the Celtics to target and that is Marc Gasol. He is a much better defender but there are no liabilities in his offensive game so he will never be disruptive to their offense. Unfortunately, if they strike out on him they will have to make difficult decisions as to what phase of the game is the priority.

There is also something to the idea that Stevens will be much better at optimizing an offensive minded player. The Celtics will want to get the absolute max out of their free agent and the easiest way to do that would be with an offensive player. Stevens has managed to put together a solid offense and that is without any premier offensive talent. If that changes this offseason, the Celtics’ offense should elevate to the very top of the league.

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