Bob Cousy recently celebrated his 97th birthday. Leading up to the occasion, Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe spent time with the Celtics' icon and Basketball Hall of Famer.
Among their topics of discussion were how Cousy believes Jaylen Brown will fare while shouldering the responsibility of being the team's unquestioned top option as Jayson Tatum rehabs from a torn Achilles.
"In my judgment, Jaylen is not quite at the superstar level that Tatum is at," Cousy said. "Can he carry the load by himself? I see a major rebuilding effort here. Jaylen certainly won't bring them to the promised land."
Tatum is a four-time All-NBA First Team selection. However, he has not had to "carry the load by himself" either. With Brown flanking him, the duo has turned the Eastern Conference Finals into a nearly annual trip. Together, they led the Celtics to the NBA Finals twice and propelled Boston to its 18th championship banner.
Just as Tatum's efforts weren't a solo endeavor, the reason the team's poised for a gap year from title contention is its current roster makeup.
Even with a six-time All-Star sidelined, the Celtics boast a talented quartet of Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Anfernee Simons. However, there are significant questions in the front court, including a center rotation that some project as the NBA's worst.
Tatum's Achilles tear pushed the franchise further in the direction of gaining flexibility. What's best for the organization from a roster-building standpoint is getting under the second apron and maximizing tax savings.
That could also lead to Simons getting rerouted between now and the trade deadline.
That reality is not an indictment of what Brown could do with a more complete supporting cast, especially in a wide-open Eastern Conference.
Bob Cousy feels sympathetic for a figure in a blessed position
Bill Chisholm grew up a diehard Celtics fan. It seems he never lost that passion.
That meant enduring years where the franchise was far from championship contention. The upcoming campaign could be a one-year hiatus before regaining that status quickly.
Chisholm had buzzard's luck, purchasing the team for a short-lived record $6.1 billion in a two-part transaction, then seeing Tatum tear his Achilles.
"This poor new owner must be shell-shocked," said Cousy. "The minute he signed on the dotted line, the poop started to hit the fan. Everything that could go wrong for that franchise pretty much did. I hope he's not having buyer's remorse. I think he's snakebit."
But at least there's hope for what's on the other side of his rehab. The organization's odyssey through the 90s and early 2000s offered less clarity on how Boston could reach the NBA's top tier.
That Chisholm's love for the Celtics persevered through extended hardships bodes well for how he'll operate as their new majority owner. It will also help him navigate next season.