Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens still isn’t done tinkering with the roster as training camp opens this coming Tuesday.
In inviting a handful of roster hopefuls to compete in camp, Stevens is leaving the door open for players to earn their way onto the squad Javonte Green style back two years ago. And some of the players he has brought on could end up proving to be too good to cut, just as Green was.
Both Garrison Mathews (39% career 3-point shooter) and Ryan Arcidiacono (37% 3-point shooter) are now threats to many of the Cs at the end of the roster whose roles are undefined.
That is born out of the aforementioned pair’s penchant for torching nets with the long-ball, an essential skill for any player not known for being a defensive ace. Neither Mathews or Arcidiacono are known to be anything close to resembling a ball-stopper. Arcidiacono has a defensive rating north of 110, and Matthews is north of 115.
Regardless, the two are here to shoot, shoot, and then shoot some more. Theo Pinson, signed this past week as well, is in the same boat. Seven-footer Luke Kornet is still lingering in the Boston Celtics system because he offers sniping (well, in theory, at least) from the center position.
Between Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Robert Williams, Dennis Schroder, and Josh Richardson, the defensive end is covered. The goal now is finding complementary shooting for the team’s core that could lift a second unit that seriously underwhelmed last season.
That search could benefit the recent training camp signees, and could be detrimental to these 2 Boston Celtics bench players: