Boston Celtics: 3 untouchable C’s players not named Tatum or Brown

Coming into the 2022 NBA Offseason, the Boston Celtics already seemed to boast one of the most impressive all-around rosters in the entire association.

With guys like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the charge as the team’s top centerpieces, it’s rather hard to not view the ball club in such a light.

Impressively enough, however, Brad Stevens and co. have managed to make this menacing squad all the more lethal thanks to the several key transactions made since their Game 6 loss to the Golden State Warriors in June’s NBA Finals.

From strengthening their backcourt depth to addressing their lacking scoring presence off the pine, the Boston Celtics have become absolute winners during this year’s offseason and now, thanks to their bolstered rotation, they are legitimately viewed as favorites to take home the 2023 Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Now, while their status of being true championship contenders is highly influenced by the greatness of the Jays, ultimately it comes down to how well constructed the talent pool is around these two cornerstones.

In fact, this roster is so talented that we at HH believe that there are quite a number of players that could be argued as being untouchable commodities.

With this in mind, today we discuss 3 individuals who, like Tatum and Brown, should be considered off-limits when it comes to trade talks:

Boston Celtics player No. 1) Marcus Smart

Starting off, we have quite an easy inclusion on a list of untouchables in the team’s heart and soul talent, Marcus Smart.

After years of being relegated to the bench or being forced to serve as the second guard option, 2021-22 proved to be the first time that the Swiss Army Man was able to be entrusted as the unquestioned starting one for the Boston Celtics and, as a result, both he and the franchise went about and made history.

Embarking on one of the greatest mid-season turnarounds in the league’s 75-year existence, Boston flipped a switch after starting 20-21 through their first 42 games played, as they wound up going 31-10 from then on out and clinched their first Finals berth in over a decade.

The reasoning for this miraculous 180 is a result of many different factors, but one major key proved to be the play of Smart, who served not only as their lead guard but also as one of their main leaders both on and off the floor.

From the midway point on, Smart was simply a two-way nightmare for opposing teams, posting 12.8 points, 6.5 assists, and 3.6 boards a night on 45 percent shooting from the floor and 36 percent shooting from distance.

Though his offensive efficiency was a truly stupendous sight to see, as always, it was his play on the less glamorous side of the ball that really galvanized this Celtics team.

Guided by his lead on this front, the team went on to finish the year as the top defensive unit in the association while the 28-year-old went on to nab the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award in the process, becoming the first guard since 1996 to accomplish this feat.

A true jack of all trades type of talent, what Marcus smart provides Boston on a nightly basis with his play and leadership is simply irreplaceable, and even players of years past have deemed him to be an untouchable asset for this title-contender.

We can’t help but agree with this concept.