Why the Boston Celtics core had to be broken up now
After Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics were never going to be the same. It felt like the end of an era.
Wrote this earlier this month. https://t.co/UmP4bC20TD
— Dylan Thompson (@Dyl_Thomp) June 22, 2023
Well, flash forward to Wednesday night, and the Celtics finally did break up their core by trading away fan favorite Marcus Smart; a necessary move as Boston needed to start fresh due to a multitude of reasons.
One main reason why the Boston Celtics had to break up the core was that they reached their expiration date. The trio of Smart, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown had six seasons together, and they were never able to get over the hump.
With a long resume of playoff failures and collapses, the time had come for the Celtics to switch things up. Changing the DNA of the team was necessary because it simply was no longer working.
I’m glad the Celtics realized you can’t just wait for championships to happen and wait for guys to grow up. You have to take them and be aggressive. The shift in philosophy is evident.
— Dylan Thompson (@Dyl_Thomp) June 22, 2023
Another reason why the Celtics’ core needed to be broken up was due to the rise in egos. Smart had a massive ego, and he had been made to believe that he was a star player. This led to conflict in the C’s locker room, and it affected them at different points over the last few seasons.
The Boston Celtics needed to show the world that it is now Tatum and Brown’s team and that they don’t have to look over their shoulder anymore. Tatum and Brown will now have the opportunity to lead the team the way that they want to.
So much for “The Celtics are just going to run it back.” Instead it’s seismic change for the Cs. Good on Brad Stevens for seeing past the sentiment to try to build a team better equipped to raise Banner 18. Now, leadership truly belongs to Tatum and Brown. They must run with it.
— Christopher Gasper (@cgasper) June 22, 2023
The Boston Celtics needed to trade Marcus Smart
Ultimately, I don’t know if the trade will result in a championship, but it’s a move that needed to be made.
With a new core and a new third star in Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics should hopefully start out on the right foot. Life without Smart may be painful at first for many Cs fans, but the pain could turn into champagne by the season’s end if the Porzingis deal pans out like it has the potential to.