2 realistic MLE candidates that have emerged for the Boston Celtics

MLE target for the Boston Celtics No. 1) Patty Mills

Despite the fact that Ime Udoka had himself an unbelievable first year serving as head coach of the Boston Celtics, it would be wise of him to look into bringing on veteran players who have a strong and fond attachment to him in order to keep the culture he’s built fresh, and Patty Mills could be a realistic target to help fit this bill.

Having spent seven prosperous years together (Udoka as an assistant coach and Mills, obviously, as a player) as members of the San Antonio Spurs, seeing several deep playoff runs and even winning an NBA Championship back in 2014, it’s well-known at this point that the pair have an established relationship.

Last summer, this relationship was on full display, as the rumblings were circulating that the C’s were looking to make a reunion between the two a reality, but the point guard ultimately opted to sign with the Nets instead.

Fast forward a year later, however, and, considering Mills recently turned down his second-year player option, we expect these types of talks to surface once again.

Despite the fact that Brooklyn had quite a tumultuous season, as they barely squeaked into the playoffs and were trounced in the first round after being penciled in as a top-3 favorite to win the 2022 Larry O’Brien trophy heading into the campaign, the veteran was quite effective serving as the team’s high-usage reserve guard.

Logging 21 minutes a night, Mills finished the year boasting averages of 11.4 points, 2.3 assists, and 1.9 rebounds on 40 percent shooting from deep.

With his ability to properly run an offense (something that came in handy during 2021-22 what with the constant absences from Kyrie Irving), create scoring opportunities for himself, and, perhaps most importantly, his championship experience, adding Patty Mills could easily wind up helping the C’s second-unit production in a major way.