Boston Celtics: 3 key talking points to hone in on during trade negotiations
By Mark Nilon
Boston Celtics talking point No. 2) “They just need a proper environment”
Alongside draft capital, one of the most highly coveted assets for rebuilding franchises are young and talented prospects and, while the Boston Celtics may not have any guaranteed stars outside of the likes of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, by all accounts they have a few youthful commodities that could certainly intrigue quite a number of organizations across the association.
Amongst this bunch are two players in Romeo Langford and Aaron Nesmith who, just a few short years ago, were considered to be some of the best prospects coming out of their respective classes and, in turn, were both projected and ultimately selected as lottery picks.
Though neither has yet to live up to their lofty draft statuses, both have managed to show flashes of just why they were revered so highly coming out of college.
For Langford, year three has been a nice step in the right direction after dealing with nagging injuries throughout his first two campaigns with the Celtics.
Through 30 games played the wing has showcased his potential of being a quality 3-and-D player in the association, especially when coming off the pine where, in said role, he is posting five points and three boards in 18 minutes on 37.5 percent shooting from distance.
Nesmith, on the other hand, came into year two with considerably high expectations after exploding onto the scene towards the end of last season, during August’s Summer League, and after playing impressively well in the preseason but, sadly, he has failed to live up to them on a consistent basis.
Still, there is the allure of his draft status just two years ago and his flashes of brilliance throughout his short career thus far.
Environment is key when it comes to getting the best out of young prospects and, though Nesmith and Langford are talented in their own right, at this stage in their development perhaps playing on a team looking to win now isn’t all that beneficial to their growth — in fact, one could argue it may be rather detrimental.
On a rebuilding team, they would be given the benefit of a much longer leash which, as a result, makes mistakes far more forgivable and easier to move past/ learn from.
As we’ve seen from recent deals such as the one that brought Jarrett Allen to the Cleveland Cavaliers, sometimes a rebuilding team taking a low-risk chance on a raw talent can do wonders for both the individual player and the organization.
Because of this, we feel the narrative of “ideal environment” could easily play a big role in negotiations this season.