Boston Celtics: 5 defenders Cs should pursue this offseason
By Chris Conte
Boston Celtics target No. 1) Larry Nance Jr.
I’m going to keep preaching Larry Nance Jr. to the Boston Celtics until it happens!
His salary fits inside the team’s books, his age makes him a player Stevens will like and trust, and he provides everything the Cs need and more.
He can shoot, pass, roll, and set screens on offense, but his specialty comes on the defensive end.
Nance is one of the most switchable small ball fives in the entire league. His 6-7 frame allows him to maintain a higher balance level than other bigs, and his IQ only enhances his physical tools.
These defensive tools will come in handy when Boston runs into Joel Embiid or Bam Adebayo in the playoffs. He’s filled out, so he and Horford can take on post-up match-ups which Robert Williams may struggle to defend. It was evident Williams could not guard Embiid in isolation and based on Adebayo’s play in the bubble last season, Williams would likely struggle to keep track of him in pick and roll. Nance can give the C’s some good minutes against Embiid in the post to keep Williams out of foul trouble and would do a great job defending in space against Adebayo’s pick and rolls. Combine his defensive abilities with Horford’s, and the Celtics could create quite the defensive tandem off the bench.
The Boston Celtics can play him as a lone small-ball center or run him at power forward beside Horford or Williams.
Nance is very portable and very valuable. So whatever the Celtics need to do to get him, they should do it!