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Who Dislikes the Celtics’ Young Core?

By C.J Maffris

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Right now, it’s believed that the Boston Celtics have one of the more impressive young cores in the NBA. A lot of people have high expectations for Marcus Smart (not including fans), especially thanks to Five Thirty Eight’s new system to track player progression.

It’s called the CARMELO system and it’s really a fun read, even if you might have to look over a few hundred times. While there isn’t much this system can do for the new influx of rookies for the Celtics, there seems to be a lot of buzz surrounding these players. Thus making this writer believe that the young core the Celtics look more promising than any other team.

We can start with the closest player the team has to a homegrown star in Marcus Smart. Not only did ESPN rank him higher than Kobe Bryant, the CARMELO system says Smart is on a similar career path with James Harden! Before you start going to your nearest bar to celebrate, there is some wiggle room with that comparison. Out of 100, the two players are at 42, which to some might not sound close at all. In fact in this system a score in the 40’s is very similar. Anything 50 or higher would make me believe Smart and Harden really are related when it comes to basketball.

Can Marcus Smart become the star Boston desperately wants? David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Now looking at Smart’s CARMELO page, we see that his progression has him on track to be an All-Star, which is a great step forward. The system is predicting that this upcoming season his WAR will be almost at 4 (yes that’s really good). The following year we see Smart’s WAR move upward to 6.

It’s true that Smart needs to improve his shooting percentage to really be considered on the path to becoming a great player. However, the projections are loving Smart’s potential for the future. He could possibly turn into the Celtics’ greatest asset, but it will take more than one player to accomplish the goal of winning a championship.

There is one issue when looking at Five Thirty Eights’ new player progression system. It’s not the greatest when dealing with rookies since there isn’t any real numbers the system can use (NBA wise). The system tries to make up for that by comparing rookies to other NCAA players, but to me those numbers aren’t as reliable. If they were, players like Michael Beasley would be dominating the NBA. So that pumps the brakes when we look at the new young core with Terry Rozier, R.J. Hunter and Jordan Mickey. However, that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be any optimism when looking at the rookies.

General Manager Danny Ainge isn’t a fool when it comes to scouting (his success percentage is as good as any). So when he gives Mickey the largest contract for a second-round pick ever, you know there’s a lot to look forward too. He had a terrific Summer League session averaging 12 points and nearly eight rebounds, looking like a legit NBA player. I was impressed with how well he moved his body when he was on the floor on the defensive side of the ball. His shot blocking ability was on full display during Summer League action.

It will be interesting to see how he fares during preseason games (against other NBA teams). But there should be a lot to like when projecting what Mickey can do. He could potentially become another Lance Stephenson, Chandler Parsons or DeAndre Jordan (successful second-round picks). Those are the types of players I’ll be comparing Mickey with, if he becomes a huge asset for the Celtics.

There’s a lot to like when looking at R.J. Hunter’s potential in the NBA. David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Not to be outdone, there seems to be a lot of hype around R.J. Hunter. I too was very happy when Ainge and company pulled the trigger on the Georgia State shooter. He could possibly become a lethal outside shooter. Plus, if James Young can figure things out, the two could be a tantalizing offensive duo. The Celtics have issues scoring the ball, and Isaiah Thomas can only do some much in that department. So there will be a ton of pressure on Hunter and Young to figure out a niche in the league.

There seems to be a lot to like with Hunter, with Celticsblog.com writer Kevin O’Connor talking about his basketball IQ. When reading the article and looking at the gifs in it, you see what O’Connor sees (and should feel confident). It’s good to know how Hunter doesn’t go at everything at 100 mph, like we see with rookies. Instead he reads what the defense is doing and tries to score accordingly. I don’t think he’ll average double-digit points, but Smart didn’t in his rookie campaign. Hunter could follow the same path as Smart, and maybe be on the same career path as Klay Thompson (who Hunter was compared to in the draft).

Before we forget there is another rookie on the Celtics who a lot of people are high on. Rozier has looked like a maniac on the defense end, which is again how Smart was viewed as a rookie last season. He did well during his Summer League action averaging over 12 points and nearly four assists. Scouts also noticed his great ability to change speeds and how well he moves on the court. Adding that type of ability to a team can help with any deficiencies the team has to deal with when Thomas is on the floor (defensive wise). While he is being sidelined with a knee injury, fans shouldn’t be worried, and expect him to ready when the season starts.

After going through the young core the Celtics have, it makes me think about other rosters in the league. Does any other team have that type of young talent like Boston has? I do like what Philadelphia has done through the draft with Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel as a front court. However, the 76ers do not have a coach like Stevens who can maximize production from players.

I’ll also be interested how Milwaukee’s core with Jabari Parker, Khris Middleton, Michael Carter-Williams, John Henson,and Giannis Antetokounmpo look next season. That does sound like a great young core, but I believe the Celtics roster can compete with Milwaukee’s. However, I don’t see many other rosters quite like Boston’s, and that is a huge advantage (if these players actually pan out). Being able to score on draft picks can help build a team to new heights. Plus it could make a big time free agent want to play with a new (and cheaper) super team.

So I might be a little more optimistic than some about the new young players. Sure the Celtics might not make the playoffs, but this season will help the rookies grow into legit NBA players. If their development improves, these players could have a new best friend in the CARMELO system. This could very well begin to show results from the rebuild that fans and sports personalities have wanted for a while now. At the moment this optimism is just based on projections, but soon fans might reap the reward they have been clamoring for.

C.J Maffris is a writer for Hardwoodhoudini.com. He believes this young core is the best the Celtics have had in a long time. Feel free to follow C.J @SeaJayMaffris

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