Boston Celtics fans should be happy about the on-court product put forth this season–especially given their 19-7 record and second place standing in the Eastern Conference. Despite that, they are not a finished product…and some current players could be part of any sweeping changes made to the roster.
The basketball blogging space that Hardwood Houdini occupies is filled with Boston Celtics analysis on who should be taking what shots from where. Any loyal reader of this particular site would know we love to break it down on a much more granular level.
If you base things off history (and common sense) you can get a feel for who can win it all in the NBA. Certain boxes need to be checked. A certain caliber of player is often needed to guide the ship, but certain archetypes of supporting players determine whether that leader can achieve the ultimate goal of a title.
When we look up and down this current Boston Celtics roster, it is clear that there is a foundation for a winner. While Kemba Walker is the team’s top dog, and a contender for a starting role at the All-Star game in Chicago, he will only get as far as his supporting cast will take him.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum continually prove that their secondary (and sometimes primary) scoring production could win games. Those three form the core of the C’s, along with fellow Team USA teammate Marcus Smart being a sixth man/fill-in starter on a relative bargain contract.
Other than those four, the roster is malleable. Walker’s commitment is a long-term one, and Brown and Tatum have long been deemed the future of the franchise. That future has come, with the two hovering around 20 points per game for a top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Which players should be on the trading block, with their fit on the Boston Celtics coming into question by the day? We deep-dive and find three players who could find themselves on the trading block by February.