This Boston Celtics season has not inspired confidence from fans of the co-winningest franchise in NBA history. The Los Angeles Lakers just won their second championship in the last decade–good for two more than the Cs in the same time span–and look primed to contend for another one in 2021.
No one is saying that about Boston right now. The Celtics are hovering one game above .500 with the New Orleans Pelicans on the docket this afternoon in the Big Easy.
Zion Williamson could demoralize the Cs with physical dominance, and the struggling Pels–winners of just one of their last six games–could use Boston as a springboard to a midseason run themselves.
As losses pile up and the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers continue to separate themselves as the two leaders of the Eastern Conference, Danny Ainge is running out of rope. He needs to reel Cs fans back as soon as possible.
Hardwood Houdini was optimistic about the team’s offseason, with several being particularly high on the Jeff Teague signing.
After a strong start to the season standing in for Kemba Walker, his game has declined…sharply. His shooting percentage has plummeted to 32%. That would stand as his lowest conversion rate since his rookie season, and it’d be almost eight percentage points lower than his 2009-10 output.
Boston’s other free agent signing, Tristan Thompson, has not lived up to his contract. Originally the starting center, he has been replaced by Daniel Theis whenever the German center can go.
These offseason shortcomings have revealed that the roster needs work. Before Ainge considers any core-shaking trades, he should pursue these free agents instead:
Free-agent #1 that the Boston Celtics must pounce on: Isaiah Thomas
The king of the fourth should always feel welcome in Beantown. Isaiah Thomas was one of the NBA’s greatest stories when he was donning Boston Celtics green and white from 2015-17.
IT was originally signed to a four-year, $32 million deal by the Phoenix Suns to be the third backup on a team gunning for the #8 seed in the west. To be fair, the Western Conference was pretty stacked in 2014-15, and Thomas was seen as a potential piece that could get Phoenix over the top.
Halfway through the season, though, something funny happened. Thomas was dealt from Phoenix to Boston, and no longer serving as the third wheel to Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe created an MVP candidate making role player money.
Of course, the end of Thomas’ tenure with the Cs was far from ideal from a player standpoint, as Thomas ended up flaming out in 2017-18 on the Cavaliers and Lakers and no longer led a #1 seed that clicked on all cylinders.
From a player-franchise relationship standpoint, Boston’s image was tarnished after such a disastrous PR decision by Ainge. It would probably be looked at more fondly had Kyrie Irving not had such a tenuous run in green and white himself.
Either way, there’s a chance for redemption. Thomas has returned to competitive play, representing Team USA in the 2022 FIBA Americup qualifiers. He was fairly effective in his first game back, too, despite six turnovers in his first international rules contest:
"Isaiah Thomas knocked down three quick 3-pointers, showing that his shot is still there. Knocking off 12 months of rust wasn’t quite as easy. Thomas scored 19 points in his first competitive game in more than a year, helping the U.S. to a 93-77 victory over the Bahamas on Friday in a FIBA AmeriCup qualifying game."
Thomas’ return to Boston would be an incredible boost from an emotional standpoint, but he may have more to give on the offensive end than Jeff Teague at this point.
Here’s hoping bygones will be bygones, and IT can return home where he belongs.
Free-agent #2 that the Boston Celtics must pounce on: DeMarcus Cousins
DeMarcus Cousins is officially back on the market, per Shams Charania:
The Houston Rockets and center DeMarcus Cousins are planning to part ways in coming days, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Houston wants to go smaller, younger in frontcourt when Christian Wood returns and this allows Cousins to find an opportunity elsewhere.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 20, 2021
With Cousins being banished from a team focusing on the future, the Celtics make sense as a destination for the big man in the present. In need of a spark in the frontcourt, the Cs could afford a roll of the dice on the former All-NBA center.
In limited spurts, Cousins has shown flashes of dominance in a Rockets uniform in 2021. In his last five games, he is averaging 14 points and nine rebounds, even posting a 19-point, eight-rebound, four-assist, two-steal, two-block performance in his final outing in Rockets red against the Philadelphia 76ers.
No longer destined to waste away on a team on the fast track to the #13 seed in the Western Conference, Cousins could be the emotional boost the Boston Celtics locker-room needs. His Achilles and ACL tear recoveries are inspiring, and his on-court aggression and lack of fear of any confrontation give him somewhat of a “glue-guy” status in the right situation.
Danny Ainge should explore if Boston is that for “Boogie”. He doesn’t have much to lose with Tristan Thompson underwhelming, Daniel Theis being unable to defend the most physical bigs in the east, and Robert Williams being a perennial injury risk.