Shane Larkin’s time with the Boston Celtics is officially over
He was never a major piece, but Shane Larkin filed his role exactly as the Boston Celtics needed last year. He brought depth when they needed it most, while being capable on both ends. He saw a great opportunity to be able to contribute in Boston, and that is exactly what he did.
Unfortunately, he was never going to be more than extra depth, and they simply do not need that anymore. The Celtics certainly do not have the minutes and really do not even have the roster spot at this point.
The Celtics no longer need Larkin and Larkin no longer needs the Celtics. He had a good enough of a season to make sure that he can continue to get paid to play basketball. With him heading back overseas, however, this could end up being his last stint in the NBA.
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The success of Larkin could have also another kind of impact on the Celtics. We already saw it again this season when they picked up Brad Wanamaker. The Celtics have been successful getting depth overseas, and Larkin is a great example of what they will be looking for when they go that route.
You can never expect these cheap overseas options to be main contributors, and the fact that Daniel Theis is expected to be a part of the rotation is incredibly impressive given the situation.
With someone like Larkin, he cannot hope for more than what he was ale to do with the Celtics. There was excitement and there were those games where the Celtics would have lost without him.
He brought a real impact off the bench, and was a contributor on a team that went on a truly special playoff run, no matter how prominant the was in the rotation.
Larkin has a special time on a team that was able to push LeBron James to the brink. He got a great NBA experience and, if it is his final one, he will be able to look back at how he was a part of something truly special here.
It would have been great to keep Larkin around. His depth is actually valuable and he has established a level of trust. Unfortunately, the Celtics have plenty of depth for their guards, and Larkin is probably better off joining a team that will allow him to actually play basketball on a regular basis.
With the Celtics, who knows how many injuries it would take for him to have actually been needed again this season.