Boston Celtics: Level of play at the center position will make or break 2019-20 season

This offseason has been quite an active and successful one for the Boston Celtics. However, even with this, the fate of their 2019-20 campaign will be heavily influenced by the level of efficiency at the team’s starting center position.

With Kawhi Leonard’s decision to head west and join the Los Angeles Clippers, it’s apparent that the East’s top-3 spots are open for the taking. And, though fans believe the Boston Celtics have as good a chance as any to find themselves amongst the elite in the conference’s standings, the team still has a few tweaks to make before this can become a reality.

Since the end of the 2018-19 season, Boston has seen quite a bit of change. From stars Kyrie Irving and Al Horford jumping ship to the team acquiring Kemba Walker, the C’s have consistently found themselves among the headlines of the sports world.

With a starting five consisting of Walker, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Gordon Hayward, it is evident that the Celtics’ talent stacks up quite nicely with the rest of the conference. However, when looking at the team’s starters, perhaps the most attention grabbing aspect of the line-up is their center position.

As of this moment, Enes Kanter is the odds on favorite to be Boston’s starting center this season. While the 27-year-old has made a name for himself as being a quality low-post scoring and rebounding big (11.9 PPG & 7.6 RPG for career) he has yet to prove he is capable of being the starting-five on a legitimate championship contender.

When looking at the other bigs residing in the Conference, in comparison, it is evident Boston is lacking in this area. Names such as Joel Embiid, Al Horford (awkward), Nikola Vucevic, Serge Ibaka, Marc Gasol …. (*pauses for air*) …. Andre Drummond, Blake Griffin, Brook Lopez and DeAndre Jordan are all ahead of Kanter in the conversation of “best-bigs in the East.” And, while the most important position in today’s game is in fact point guard, having a talented big in tow is a huge plus for a contender.

As previously stated, the Boston Celtics have a plethora of talent currently residing on their roster. They have two players who have already proven to be All-Star level talents in Walker and Hayward, and have what looks to be two future stars in both Tatum and Brown.

However, if they truly wish to be seen as legitimate threats in the Eastern Conference, effective play at the five may prove to be the key.

Personally, I like Enes Kanter. Per-36 minutes, his career numbers skyrocket to an impressive 19.3 PPG and 12.3 RPG. Still, he is not much of a defender nor is he exactly the “stretch big” teams so highly covet in today’s NBA (29% from deep for his career).

Behind him in the rotation will likely be Daniel Theis, Robert Williams III and, quite possibly, Tacko Fall. Now, while they may be serviceable role players for the team, at this point none of their talents scream “game changer” or, frankly, even “starting caliber.” Because of this, Kanter should wind up being the team’s starter, which is good but, when looking at other teams, not yet good enough.

At 6-11, 250-pounds, the center’s stature is already an intimidating presence down low on both ends of the court. If he can work on his defense this offseason, as well as his mid-to-long range play, then perhaps the idea of Boston contending in the East may actually become more of a reality.

However, if he does not somehow expand upon his game, Boston could very well be in store for a middle of the pack season coupled with another early exit from the playoffs.

Currently, are the Celtics good enough to be within the conference’s top-eight teams? Sure! The real question is, are they good enough to be actual contenders in their conference?

As the old saying goes, “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” Position wise, Boston’s main weakness is at the starting five slot.

How effective the level of play is at the center position will make or break the Boston Celtics during the 2019-20 campaign