Hardwood Houdini
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Buy or Sell – 2016 Boston Celtics

By Stephen Varnum

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Buy or Sell?

R.J. Hunter drops 150 three pointers this year?

BUY – To give you guys some perspective, Marcus Smart put up 91 three pointers in 67 games in year one.  Hunter does have some players ahead of him that he will have to beat out for minutes, but I have no doubt he will get to 20-25 minutes a game by seasons end.  And not sure if you saw his stroke in the Summer League –

I don’t want to set expectations too high, but maybe a Klay Thompson/Khris Middleton comparison? But believe it or not, the guy is already trying to fight off his position label as a “shooter”

Isaiah Thomas makes the All-Star team

BUY – Two main things to consider when deciding if the miniature Thomas can make the Eastern Conference team in this year’s All-Star game in Canada:

One, is the depth of the Eastern Conference point guards.  Five “point guards” made it to the team in 2015.  Thomas’s main competition will be: John Wall, Kyrie Irving, Kyle Lowry, Derrick Rose, George Hill, Kemba Walker, and MCW.  Wall, Irving, and Lowry are more than likely not going anywhere in terms of votes, so it wouldn’t be crazy to think Thomas could beat guys like Hill and Walker.

Two, is how good the Celtics are in the WIDE open Eastern Conference. History says that if your team isn’t one of the top 9 teams in the league, then more than likely, you won’t be headed to the All-Star team.  This shouldn’t be a problem for this young, but hungry Celtics team.

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Sullinger Plays 70+ games this year

SELL – To be honest, I’m not even 100% sure if he stays in green for the whole season.  Jared is in year four, and it didn’t seem like he took that much of a forward step from year two to three. But, his offseason has been pretty successful: Jared Sullinger has made a commitment to being in in-game shape for this upcoming season:

But, Sully hasn’t played more than 74 games in his three year career, only playing 58 in 2015.  And in a crowded front court with forwards David Lee, Kelly Olynyk, Amir Johnson, and Jonas Jerebko; it is going to be hard for him to separate himself from the crowd.

Things going for him include the newly lost weight, improved three point range, he’s a rebounding machine, and is a fan favorite.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Sully puts up a double-double this year, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if Danny Ainge used him as a trade chip mid-season.

The Boston Celtics Get The Fifth Seed In The Playoffs

Apr 26, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jared Sullinger (7) reacts after making a basket during the second half in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers. at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

BUY – I’m definitely buying this! As usual, ESPN has us barely making the playoffs, winning the same amount of games as last year and barely grabbing that 8th seed spot.  Well, this is pretty ridiculous.

This offseason, the Celtics only got better. We added three quality rookies, kept all our major playoff pieces, and we still have one of the top 10 coaches in the league, Mr. Brad Stevens.  Not to mention the 2014-2015 Boston Celtics squad finished the season with an incredible, 20-11 record after the All-Star break.

And I didn’t even mention the East is just as weak as it has ever been! The only teams definitively better than our Celtics are the Cavs, the Bulls, and the new-look Raptors.  Other than those teams, the Celtics could even slide into the fourth spot!

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