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Why The Celtics Are One Piece Away From Another Championship

By Robert Phaneuf

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 11: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics handles the ball against the Indiana Pacers on March 11, 2018 at the TD Garden in Boston, 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 11: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics handles the ball against the Indiana Pacers on March 11, 2018 at the TD Garden in Boston, 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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With the summer of 2018 winding down NBA training camps are just around the corner. With this year’s free agency class one of the most exciting in years, the Boston Celtics are striving for banner number 18. There is one question that remains. Do the Celtics have enough to win another NBA title? In this post, we will review three areas that the Celtics may need to improve in.

A Legitimate NBA Center

This is an area that may haunt the Celtics all season long. Currently, the team has Aron Baynes and Al Horford as their only true centers. Over the summer the club resigned Baynes to a two-year extension and forward Al Horford has two years left on his remaining contract.

In Baynes, the team has literally a brick wall defending the basket. His physical style of plays helps the Celtics tremendously in close games. Also Aron is noted for being an excellent rebounder, something which the team has lacked before he became a Celtic last season.

As for Horford he prefers to stay at power forward but is also regarded as a center. Overall Al ranked 31st in the NBA last season in rebounds averaging 7.5 per game.  In the blocked shots category Horford ranked 29th with 78 blocked shots. If the Celtics expect to win the close games then they will have to capitalize in the rebounding department.

Other players with a strong physical presence are Daniel Theis, Guerschon Yabusele, Marcus Morris and future NBA star Jayson Tatum.

Rumors Of Karl Anthony Towns and Anthony Davis

Like any other NBA city rumours are a way of life. In Boston, rumours persist that Anthony Davis or Karl-Anthony Towns are heading to Beantown. The simple truth of the matter is the Celtics would have to break up their present team in order to land such a player.

In order to land Anthony Davis, for example, the organization would have to sacrifice a Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown in order to receive such a player. In addition, Boston would have to include the 2019 Sacramento Kings pick, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Memphis Grizzlies pick plus another player. Reality wise it doesn’t make sense for general manager Danny Ainge to mortgage such a move.

 A Commitment From Kyrie

The last area that this team needs to address is a commitment from point guard Kyrie Irving. Irving played in only sixty games last season before going down with a season ending knee injury.  If the Celtics expect to contend with the Golden State Warriors next year then a commitment from Kyrie should be a priority.

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