Another trade deadline has come and gone and for once it did not disappoint. It was also no surprise that the Boston Celtics were right in the thick of majority of the rumors. The biggest name that was flying around was Goran Dragic. Dragic caused quite the stir with his calling out of the Pheonix Suns front office and demanding a trade. Dragic did not stop there as he even had a wish list that consisted of the Miami Heat, the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Feb 19, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic drives to the basket in the second half against the Boston Celtics at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Celtics 100-94. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Given everything that surrounded Dragic this trade deadline, the Celtics dodged a colossal bullet in not acquiring him. That’s not to say that Dragic would not be a great player with the Celtics. The problem would have been all the baggage he brought along with his play. The Celtics would have had to give up a lot of assets for a player that not only has a reputation for clashing with a front office but also would have been no guarantee beyond this season.
Even though the Celtics wisely avoided Dragic they still got a deal done with the Suns, a much more favorable deal. The Celtics shipped out Marcus Thornton and a first round pick and in return received Isaiah Thomas. Thomas may not have the kind of superstar potential of Dragic. However, he will fit in much better with the Celtics. First of all, there is no reason to believe that Thomas will not want to play for the Celtics. Acquiring a player for just the remainder of this season would not be worth any assets. Thomas has a lot more potential to be around with the Celtics for years to come.
The biggest reason Thomas will be a better fit for the Celtics than Dragic will be his willingness to play in a crowded backcourt. Dragic’s discontent with the Suns stemmed from his reduced involvement. Thomas, on the other hand, showed no such discomfort in sharing minutes. The Celtics run a system that allows for all players to get involved. No player stands above the rest minutes wise and that balance is one of the reasons Brad Stevens’ system works so well. He also has a pretty good resume going for him, averaging 20 PPG in Sacramento before his mediocre half-season with the Suns. Checkout some of his highlights below –
Dragic averaged just over 33 minutes per game in Phoenix and was not pleased with his usage. The Celtics don’t have a single player that even reaches the 31 minutes per game mark and with Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart and Evan Turner all fighting for a starting position there is a good chance that neither Dragic or Thomas would have been guaranteed even 30 minutes per game. Thomas, who averaged just over 25 minutes per game in Phoenix should have no problem fitting into Stevens’ system, as there is a solid chance he may even see an increase in minutes.
While Thomas may not boost the Celtics’ starting unit as much as Dragic would have, he will at the very least give the second unit a significant boost. And given how much the Celtics spread out the playing time, it is absolutely essential that they have a competent second unit.
While Danny Ainge did a fantastic job in acquiring Isaiah Thomas, the only slight issue at the trade deadline was the lack of interest in a big man. The Celtics already have depth at the guard position, and especially with recent news of Jared Sullinger’s injury, the Celtics missed a great opportunity to develop their front court.
Perhaps it was a reach of a trade rumor involving Demarcus Cousins that created some unwarranted excitement. As sweet as it could have been to acquire Cousins, the Celtics would have had to dump a significant amount of their assets. The Celtics still do need to address their size and that will become more and more evident with the absence of Sullinger.
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The Celtics are one of the youngest teams and with all their cap room and assets they will be a great landing spot for a big name free agent. Free agency will be a much better outlet for the Celtics to address their size as they will have an opportunity to acquire a max contract player without having to give up too much.
The Celtics have now created one of the deepest and most dynamic back courts in the NBA. The Celtics are young and like to play fast and Thomas appears to be a perfect fit for the team. Only time will tell, but this should be the beginning of a long and successful tenure for Thomas with the Boston Celtics.