Boston Celtics: Making sense of the Tacko Fall-Cleveland Cavaliers signing

Times were tough during Tacko Fall’s two-year tenure with the Boston Celtics. In a very macro sense.

Halfway through his first season, the world stopped and stood still for many months. The NBA snuck in a postseason in the vacated campus of Walt Disney World’s Wide World of Sports complex, and players were forced into isolation in their rooms due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

His second season was even more topsy-turvy. Teams were flying across the country only to be forced to isolate upon arrival to a new city. Games were canceled on the fly, and there were no longer virtual fans besides in the Chase Center.

Just familiar arenas with unfamiliar hollowness.

Through it all, Fall was a source of serotonin for many Celtics fans during dark times. His first season featured thunderous dunks that sent the TD Garden into a frenzy. The undrafted rookie out of UCF even heard MVP chants.

The former Boston Celtics center will be missed by Hardwood Houdini

Now, he begins a new venture out in “The Land”, with a franchise that has not recovered from LeBron James departure…for a second time.

The Cavaliers are an intriguing destination because of the influx of young talent in recent seasons, but many of their best imports play his position. Jarrett Allen was just handed $100 million, even though Cleveland’s most recent lottery pick (Evan Mobley) is probably best fit for the 5 in the modern NBA.

Two of the team’s other highest-paid players are in the frontcourt as well (Kevin Love, Lauri Markkanen). In total, Cleveland has added four bigs since the beginning of the year with Allen being acquired in the James Harden deal, Mobley being drafted, Markkanen being signed, and Fall joining the team on a non-guaranteed contract.

The prospects of Fall playing are not particularly high right now unless Cleveland could deal Love. While having Love hog up space would be the kind of thing that happens to the Cavaliers when LeBron isn’t around to micromanage the front office, it isn’t ideal.

Even still, he is behind the 8-ball right now. 2019 first-round pick Mfiondu Kabengele could be competition for minutes as well, and his game makes him more pliable as either a power forward or pivot. That could benefit him in this Monster Island frontcourt Cleveland possesses.

Fall may not be long for Cleveland, who already benefits from the morale boost he provides at minimum. His non-guarantee makes him an easy October cut after drawing interest to preseason games.

Regardless, HH is happy to see him still in the NBA.