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Boston Celtics: A history of the most successful rebuild in NBA history

By Lucio Vainesman

BOSTON, MA - JULY 8: (L-R) Wycliff Grousbeck, Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens welcome Al Horford, center, as the newest member of the Boston Celtics on July 8, 2016 at the Boston Celtics Practice Facility in Waltham, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - JULY 8: (L-R) Wycliff Grousbeck, Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens welcome Al Horford, center, as the newest member of the Boston Celtics on July 8, 2016 at the Boston Celtics Practice Facility in Waltham, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Danny Ainge has rebuilt the Boston Celtics in a way that we have never seen before

The 2013-14 campaign ended exactly how most thought it would, with only three teams in the association finishing with fewer wins than the Boston Celtics. This catastrophic fall was the aftermath to the meteoric rise of the big-three era in Boston. What ensued was a complete restructuring of the roster and handing control of the team over to a young, unproven coach from Butler. What followed was one of the most expeditious rebuilds in the history of the NBA.

Since Marcus Smart was chosen with the 6th pick in 2014, he has not missed the playoffs once. Since Brad Stevens took over, his regular season and playoff win total has increased each year. One year absence from the playoffs was all the Celtics needed to get back to competing.

A team in 2013-14 that was led by Jeff Green, Jordan Crawford, and Rajon Rondo, ultimately became a team led by Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford. Ironically, this swift rebuild came with patience and thourough, calculated decision making.

Legendary Celtic Rondo was shipped off, along with Green, during the 2014-15 campaign to make room for rising players Kelly Olynyk, Smart, Evan Turner, Avery Bradley, and Isaiah Thomas. This effectively became a core of a Celtics team that would take the league by storm post all-star break and slide into the playoffs as a 7th seed.

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The following season came with minimal changes, the addition of Amir Johnson and the drafting of Louisville Point Guard Terry Rozier. The biggest change that season was putting the team in the hands of Thomas. This role change for a player who was accustomed to being a sixth-man his whole career proved effective as it secured Thomas his first all-star selection.

This team became a pest to the league, an overachiever many would say. Notably ending the Warriors’ legendary 54 home game win streak. While the Celtics exceeded many expectations during the 2015-16 season, the injury bug helped the C’s fall from third in the east, all the way to fifth. Outmatched and outclassed by an Atlanta Hawks team, the Celtics were taken apart in 6, and it would have been quicker without the seemingly miraculous performance of Thomas in games 3 and 4.

The type of performance we would quickly become accustomed to during the entirety of the next season. The offseason that followed featured the Celtics chasing of the second best player in the world – Kevin Durant – and the successful signing of veteran big Al Horford. While many would still label the Celtics as overachievers the next season, it only seemed to fuel them.

A well rounded, well coached team that was able to seize the first seed and home-court advantage through the playoffs. The system in place granted Thomas his second straight all-star nod as well as a fifth-place finish in MVP voting. The whole season the Celtics’ fanbase became accustomed to nail biting games and the consequent fourth-quarter takeover from “The King of the Fourth”. After falling behind by two games in the first round, the Celtics went on to win their next 6 playoffs games and a closely contended playoff series against the Washington Wizards. Only to meet Lebron James in the Eastern Conference Finals and embarrassed on their home court.

Smart’s best shooting night of his career in game 3 prevented a sweep, yet this series was indicative that the Celtics 4 year rebuild needed work to do. Thus prompting Danny Ainge to unprecedently tear up a roster that made it to the ECF and start from scratch again, with only four returning players. The Celtics during the Brad Stevens era have become known to be overachievers and scrappy role players. I think it’s fair to say that this era is over. The Celtics are contenders and have promising odds of making it back to the NBA finals for the first time since 2010.

We can sit back and applaud Danny Ainge for manufacturing the quickest, most effective rebuild in recent memory. One year without a postseason, three years without a playoff series win, and potentially five year rebuild until a place in the NBA finals. The Celtics are officially done with their rebuild and are bonified contenders. The Boston faithful have been blessed to have such an acute minded General Manager, who demonstrated patience and sharp insight, winning every trade he made, not overpaying free agents, and drafting future stars (Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown) and extremely underrated role players (Rozier, Smart).

Next: Celtics Play Pacers in Eastern Showdown

The Celtics took five years of rebuilding to reinstate their status as a contender. Not many teams in the league are able to say the same. In fact teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, who boast about their “process”, haven’t made the playoffs since the 2011-12 season. We are lucky that the man by the name of Danny Ainge is running operations for the Boston Celtics. Not only has Boston sports been extremely privileged since the turn of the century, but we only had to go one year without postseason basketball during the Brad Stevens era.

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