Disregarding that one Knicks blemish, the Boston Celtics bench unit, in particular, has picked up the slack, with different players coming into their own on different nights. Oh, and that’s right, Romeo Langford, who showed a lot of defensive promise, has still yet to lace up for the Shamrocks.
But are these performances sustainable?
Can Payton Pritchard — once he returns from injury — continue to shoot 43 percent from beyond the arc? Can Semi Ojeleye continue to heat up the corners as he’s done so far this season? Can Jeff Teague once again play at his opening night level, or should they consider cutting ties with the veteran?
We shall see, but the C’s bench of 2020-21 is no longer dead last in three-point attempts and 28th in three-point percentage. They’ve improved thus far percentage-wise, but are still a very low volume three-point shooting squad.
There is always the chance of some regression to the Celtics of yore as they still do not have a solidified floor spacer coming off the bench just yet.
Again, one could argue that Pritchard, Teague, and Ojeleye are capable NBA-level floor spacers, but in a league where shooting comes at a premium, Boston could benefit from just one more floor spacer on their second unit.
The Boston Celtics should consider signing a few free agents
While the Boston Celtics, as of late, have aired on the side of caution when it comes to midseason moves, their trade exception is still intact and could come into play as early as this current season. Roster turnover could occur, and with this in mind, the Celtics may need to be creative if they choose the route of roster reconfiguration.
These aren’t the high profile free agent names that make splashy headlines, but rather realistic moves around the margins that add some extra gravitational pull, enough to open up those all-important driving lanes for Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Kemba Walker.
Let’s give the Celtics some realistic options that could serve as late-season bench insurance.
So who is out there?