The 3 biggest questions still plaguing the Boston Celtics
By Mark Nilon
Boston Celtics question No. 2) Who will replace Daniel Theis?
Though this offseason looks to have been an overall success for the Boston Celtics, this is not to say that they haven’t come across some hiccups and hardships along the way.
In fact, one major hole within the rotation wound up being created via arguably the biggest move of the summer for the ball club.
While we all should without a doubt praise Brad Stevens for managing to strike a deal that landed the C’s a top-notch guard talent in Brogdon for mere role players and bench fillers, in doing so they actually ended up sacrificing one of their only legitimate backup big men in the process in Daniel Theis.
From his 18.7 minutes logged per game during the regular season to his highly important spot starts throughout their postseason run, despite being far from a star the veteran served as a big-bodied, defensive-minded presence down in the frontcourt who, at a moment’s notice, could jump in and give Ime Udoka some efficient minutes to allow the starting bigs to rest up on the pine.
Considering Al Horford’s age (36) and Robert Williams III’s extensive injury history, having the 6-9 Theis in tow was a nice backup option to have, if nothing more than for a potential “just in case” type of scenario.
Now with him in Indiana, however, the Celtics are left with a major question mark when it comes to finding a player who could step up and serve as the primary reserve tweener big.
Sure, the vast majority of people will automatically point to Grant Williams, considering the fact that he saw plenty of time at the four and even at the five throughout his third-year campaign (averaged 24.4 minutes per night in 2021-22) but, being that he measures in at just 6-6 (to put this into perspective, Brogdon is an inch shorter at 6-5), they likely will need to find another frontcourt talent, especially one who can consistently play the five.
With potential suitors in Luke Kornet, Mfiondu Kabengele, and Noah Voleh all heading toward training camp with the mindset of trying to compete for this type of role, it’s truly anyone’s guess who will wind up coming out on top.