The Boston Celtics are surprise contenders after dumping Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford in the offseason. Fans were upset and mocked Brad Stevens' choice to trim payroll. It was bold to send three key pieces of their championship roster packing, but it was the right move.
Holiday was playing well, but only appeared in 12 games before being sidelined with a calf injury. He said there are no hard feelings after the Anfernee Simons trade and hasn't suited up since Nov. 14. KP has only played 16 contests, and his minutes are way down as his illness appears to have returned. Horford’s minutes are also down as the 39-year-old may be nearing the end of the line.
The Celtics haven't missed a beat, despite Jayson Tatum’s injury. They have won eight of their last nine to vault to second in the Eastern Conference. Neemias Queta has stepped up from fourth string to be their starting center, and Joe Mazzulla has Jaylen Brown playing like a top-five player in the world. Stevens knew exactly what he was doing, and the plan is coming together perfectly.
Brad Stevens wisely broke up the Celtics' championship core
Stevens saw the trend and made calculated moves. Older teams are struggling this season. Holiday turns 36 in June, and Porzingis has a lengthy history of injuries. Stevens found a way to save some money and trade both players without giving up significant draft capital. The Celtics let Horford walk and decided to get younger at the five.
Don’t believe me? Zach Lowe just praised Stevens on a recent episode of his podcast for the talent drain that wasn’t. Hear his full remarks below.
Derrick White is Boston’s only rotation player over 30. Stevens got rid of the older talent and replaced them with cheaper options. That is what front offices must do when a team has two superstars in the second apron era.
Fans thought they were just saving money, but that is not in the DNA of Stevens or Celtics’ head coach Joe Mazzulla. They were always going to put a competitive roster on the floor, and are ready to find the next hidden gem.
Brad Stevens keeps building his case for best executive in the NBA. Since leaving the bench for the front office, the Celtics won a championship, reached two NBA Finals, and played in three conference finals in four years. He keeps changing the roster, but never knocks his team back. Stevens is not afraid to admit a mistake and always seems to make things work.
Everyone thought the Holiday and Porzingis trades would be disastrous. The Celtics didn’t want Anfernee Simons or George Niang. Both players were immediately back on the trade block, with Niang being dumped with two second-round draft picks. Stevens knew Holiday and KP were reaching the point of no return, so he wisely sent them packing.
Boston Celtics fans should question Brad Stevens at their own risk. The Marcus Smart trade wasn’t popular, but the former Defensive Player of the Year has struggled to stay healthy since leaving Beantown. Stevens built a championship roster and kept the Cs in contention as he tore it down. The lead executive looks like a genius, and he keeps nailing every move.