The Boston Celtics have had four seasons in the top 10 defensive rating in the Brad Stevens coaching eraBrad Stevens coaching era; the Boston Celtics have had four seasons in the top 10 defensive rating. Last season they ranked 14th overall, but for the better part of the season, they were a sub-top-20 defense.
Marcus Smart nearly tearing his Achilles and Jayson Tatum contracting a deadly disease, did not help.
Still, the C’s roster never had any chance to succeed defensively looking at its personnel. Their best rim protector, Robert Williams, rode the bench for most of the first half of the season, and Stevens started two below-average rim protectors together in Tristan Thompson and Daniel Theis.
In Stevens’ switch-heavy scheme, Thompson got exposed on the perimeter, and Theis beat the rim. Having a solid defensive big is essential to maintaining an overall elite defense, and the Boston Celtics weren’t playing the one they had.
Aside from their insufficient rim deterrence, their perimeter defense was nothing notable. So instead, the Celtics relied on their young players to switch on to and defend high-level perimeter creators, which worked out how you think it would have worked out.
Instead, Aaron Nesmith, Grant Williams, Romeo Langford, and even Carsen Edwards were thrown into the fire and couldn’t sustain the level of defense Stevens was hoping they would.
Even when Evan Fournier came in and phased most of these young players out of the rotation, Boston was still playing with two or three perimeter liabilities on the floor in Kemba Walker, Fournier, and Tristan Thompson.
Ideally, the Celtics should only have one or two defensive liabilities in their rotation and none in their starting lineup.
With Fournier likely coming back, they will have to stomach having one in their starting lineup, but they can try and optimize their bench, so Fournier remains the only negative on defense.
Here are a few names that the Boston Celtics should look to acquire to bolster their defense:
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!
Boston Celtics target No. 2) Torrey Craig
Considering the Suns are likely to win the NBA Finals, Torrey Craig may or may not be on the free-agent market, but, for now, he is.
Craig would give the Boston Celtics precisely what they need — someone who can come off the bench and guard the opposing team’s best player.
At 6-7, he can guard anywhere from point guard down to power forward and has no problem taking on star-caliber players. He was exceptional against Damian Lillard in the 2018 playoffs and has provided some great minutes for Phoenix against Lebron James. With the Nets likely coming back with their core three and the Bucks with their core three, Boston must find a wing-like Craig who can switch defensive duties. One game, he may be tasked with guarding Kyrie Irving, other games on James Harden. Against the Bucks, he could give Boston’s two best players rest on the defensive end by taking on Khris Middleton and even checking Giannis Antetokounmpo. Whatever Boston may ask of Craig, he can and will do it, and it will only cost a few million dollars to employ him.
In addition, Craig has playoff experience and is cheap, two things Brad Stevens loves. So, if he chooses to walk away from Phoenix, Boston needs to give him a call.
Boston Celtics target No. 3) Trevor Ariza
The man who set the NBA record for most times traded might add another jersey to his collection if he chooses to leave Miami in free agency this summer.
The Boston Celtics should hope they can be the team to add that jersey to his collection.
Although Trevor Ariza is not the defender he once was, he is still better than anything the Cs have coming off the bench. He has the size, length, and experience of being a defensive asset for the team.
He’s been in the league for 16 years now and has played in 106 playoff games.
Boston can leverage Ariza’s size against more enormous wings such as Kevin Durant or Giannis Antetokounmpo in isolation, or they can use him as a help-side wing against bigs that live in the post like Joel Embiid.
His defensive versatility would greatly help the Celtics defense, and his career 37 percent 3-point mark doesn’t hurt either.
Ariza and Horford could stabilize the bench unit’s defense with their high IQ and rim protection while the Cs buy some time to rest Tatum and Williams.
At 36 years old, Ariza would not demand much and would be more than willing to sign with Boston if they promised him a chance at a ring.
Boston Celtics target No. 4) Derrick Jones Jr
The state of the Portland Trail Blazers is an interesting one.
On the one hand, multiple rumors have surfaced suggesting they will blow it up and start their rebuild. However, on the other hand, Damian Lillard is talking about running it back.
Either way, If Derrick Jones Jr. decides to take his talents elsewhere by opting out of his $9 million player option, the Boston Celtics should put themselves in the mix to sign him.
At 24, he’s younger than Stevens might like, but his size and proven ability to defend at a high level might overshadow that.
DJJ can take on some of the East’s more enormous wings while also providing some much-needed help-side rim protection.
He would take that load off of Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart, and seeing as Stevens said he wanted to maximize the Jays, help-side rim protection might be what Stevens wants.
Jones’ price may be the deciding factor for Stevens.
If he opts out of his player option, he may think he can net more than $9 million a season, which the Cs simply just cannot afford to offer him.
It is unlikely Jones takes a minor contract to win a ring at his age, which means Boston’s leverage is slim to none in this scenario. Hopefully, the Celtics can convince DJJ playing beside Tatum and Brown while having a coach like Udoka is worth taking a pay cut.
Boston Celtics target No. 5) Alex Caruso
I know, I know, not a Los Angles Laker coming to Boston! Hear me out for a second, though.
Alex Caruso is an unrestricted free agent making $2 million and is 27 years old.
He would provide some size to Boston’s backcourt at 6-4, and his elite activity alongside Smart’s would give opposing backcourts hell on the defensive end.
With his active hands and fast reaction time, he would elevate Boston’s switch-heavy defensive scheme and create many transition opportunities. Caruso is a tough, high IQ defender with a cheap price tag; there’s no reason to believe Stevens won’t put the Boston Celtics in the mix to sign him.
Coming off a disappointing postseason run cut short by injuries and the Phoenix Suns, Caruso likely opts to run it back with LeBron James and Anthony Davis before he calls it quits on the Lakers.
That does not mean there’s no chance of him coming to Boston; it just means don’t bet on him signing with the Cs.
If the Celtics can move off of Tristan Thompson without bringing too much salary back in return, they could open themselves up to signing a couple of these names. However, they must get at least one because they cannot go into next season with this perimeter defense and depth chart.