Boston Celtics fans are a funny bunch. Underperformance makes their skin crawl, but a certain sect of the fanbase believes the team should soldier on as is and that this season was merely a byproduct of COVID-19-related absences and injuries.
Mention Kemba Walker being traded and the pitchforks come out. Ditto for Marcus Smart, though that crowd is growing more silent as the days go by.
It’s a strange phenomenon. Some will hop on their high horse belittling the opinions of those they don’t agree with and allow the team’s lack of success to give them a reason to lash out at fellow fans.
Hardwood Houdini will not be silenced, though. Much of the points made in the preseason about Kemba Walker’s injury-proneness came to fruition this season, often leaving Brad Stevens to shift around his lineups to scrounge up a point guard option in his absence.
Oftentimes, the guy called upon to pick up those duties was Marcus Smart. Give him credit too: he took the opportunity to up his assist total to five per game. That said, his propensity to hoist up shots in hero-ball fashion oftentimes submarined the offense just as much as his passing lifted it.
Walker and Smart have one year left on their respective deals before they can explore free agency in 2022. Anyone expecting this team to magically click next season with Smart gunning for an exorbitant new salary and Walker perhaps playing for the last max contract of his career could be due for a rude awakening.
Since the Boston Celtics have proven to be nowhere close to contention and have a superstar in Jayson Tatum that could well eventually look to the exit because of what he deals with playing in Boston, perhaps they could look into upgrading their backcourt in a big way.
Should the Boston Celtics pursue the Washington Wizards duo of Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal?
Let’s take a look at the duo and see if they would qualify as such an upgrade for the Cs:
Pros of Boston Celtics acquiring Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal
The Cs will take a first-hand look at the duo tomorrow night in what could be the first of two NBA Play-in games for the Boston Celtics (or Washington Wizards). What they will need to contend with is not only a duo averaging 53.5 points, 16.1 assists, 16.2 assists, 2.6 steals, but a backcourt pairing that thrives off of each other.
Beal raved about Westbrook in an interview with the Undefeated:
"his approach to the basketball game is what helped me have the year I’m having. And it helped us turn the year around. His level of accountability, you want that. He pushes himself to levels that you don’t even think exist. And to be on the other side of that playing against him for years and seeing, ‘Oh, how’s he getting triple-doubles every game? There’s no way he’s getting it.’ To actually see that night in and night out. He has a different mode."
This pairing seems to be perfect for both players, as both have been rumored to fail to exist 100% harmoniously alongside the stars they’ve played alongside through the years, such as James Harden in Houston and Kevin Durant in OKC for Westbrook, and John Wall in the nation’s capital for Beal since he entered the league.
Given the success they’ve seen, and the recent tear that has led them to the play-in, only a disastrous playoff series or pair of NBA Play-in games could convince the Houdini this isn’t the best backcourt in the NBA.
Cons of Boston Celtics acquiring Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal
Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal cost a combined $163 million over the next two years. That is a large chunk of change to dedicate to two players, especially since Jayson Tatum’s extension could pay him up to $195 million.
Speaking of Tatum, his game could theoretically take a hit with two guys that thrive with the ball in their hands. We saw what happened to his output when Kyrie Irving and Marcus Morris were demanding touches in 2018-19.
This trio not working out could make the Cs a costly mistake, especially if the roster turns out to be too top-heavy. Tying up over $350 million into three players could be damning to a roster if the right role players aren’t signed to support them.
Cost of acquiring Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook
To bring on that much in salary and star power to the roster will require sacrifices. The Washington Wizards are not entertaining such an offer if it doesn’t include Jaylen Brown as a baseline. The idea of pairing the Wizards All-Star duo with the Boston Celtics All-Star duo of Brown and Jayson Tatum isn’t realistic.
In addition, Washington might be interested in swapping out Westbrook for their third former All-Star PG in Kemba Walker after departing with John Wall in December 2020. Those two alone won’t get a deal done, though.
Marcus Smart is a feasible throw-in to cover the salary difference, as is another expiring deal in Tristan Thompson. On top of that, draft capital and perhaps even a young player or two could be needed to complete the transaction. Danny Ainge would more likely part with any of his 2019 draft picks before either Payton Pritchard or Aaron Nesmith, but then again the final choice may not be his since he will be getting the two best players in the trade.
What is the fit of the Boston Celtics-Westbrook/Beal backcourt fit?
Westbrook and Beal showed in 2020-21 that they don’t need much of a supporting staff to win games. While Davis Bertans is a pure sharpshooter (career 40% from the 3-point line) and Rui Hachimura are serviceable in the starting lineup, Bertans’ lack of versatility and Hachimura’s inefficacy put a lot of pressure on Westbrook and Beal to produce.
The duo has responded by making Alex Len an NBA-quality starter once more while propping up a second unit that included Ish Smith, Robin Lopez, Daniel Gafford, and Chandler Hutchinson down the stretch.
Who knows the kind of leap Robert Williams can make with them in tow. And while Jayson Tatum may no longer dominate possession of the ball with such a blockbuster, the defensive focus the duo would bring could bring record efficiency to his game.
There’s no doubt that a Westbrook/Beal/Tatum trio would make the Cs legitimate options to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals every season. In fact, the trio may could challenge Brooklyn’s Big 3 of James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving as the league’s best.
As we saw with the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Miami Heat teams of the 2010’s, you need star power to rein in today’s NBA.
Making a move for the Wizards’ backcourt (preferably after beating them tomorrow night) would be the quickest way to put the Boston Celtics in that position.