The “Big” problem the Celtics have…

Can a team in the NBA play primarily small ball and  win. That’s going to be the question the Boston Celtics will attempt to answer.

Well “wow”, what else can you say about the signing of Gordon Hayward. I didn’t expect it but wow! This move is a game changer and that’s where things get, well, how much has the game changed? Can a team be built on wings alone? Maybe it can. I assume that many basketball fans still believe you need  a dominant big, or two, to be successful.

As it sits right now the Boston Celtics will enter the season with just Al Horford and an as yet unproven Ante Zizic manning the front court. That means that Hayward, Jae Crowder, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum will be called into service to defend against some much bigger opponents. So again has the game changed?

So Horford goes out for a rest, who takes his place?  The Chicago Bulls gave the Celtics a good scare as their frontcourt dominated the Celtics in the first two games of the playoffs. There are several teams that could run multiple quality bigs at the Celtics and I don’t know how the Celtics can respond. That is a “big” problem.

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These new look Celtics will be able to score. No question. They have several top defenders in the backcourt so they will be solid there. The gaping hole is up front. After  they figure out how to pay for Hayward there might be enough money left over for an older big on the league minimum. They might be able to make some trade for  a more substantial big if they can make the money work.

There is also the prospect that to make the money work they will need to shed some salary. That could mean trading Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier or Jae Crowder. Losing any one of the players lessens the defensive prowess of the team.  Should be noted.

After the season finished most noted that the Celtics had two weaknesses. The team needed a second scoring option to lessen the load on Isaiah Thomas and the team needed to improve at rebounding. With the acquisition of Hayward the team has a second scoring option but looks to be even less effective on the boards.

Now the deal is done and there’s no looking back. When the dust settles I think we will be looking at a team that has a weaker second unit than we’ve been used to and a team that will be relying on young players, most notably Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Ante Zizic, more than they should.

Next: 5 Trades that Clear Cap Space for Hayward

This move makes the game of small ball pretty much the only game in town. That can be exciting and current NBA trends seem to suggest this direction has merit. Still it seems a little uncomfortable.