Based on their activity in the past six months, it’s clear that the Boston Celtics are planning for life without Al Horford. Bringing in guys like Xavier Tillman and Anton Watson is effectively their way of holding auditions for his replacement (or as close as a replacement you can find for a multi-time All-Star and veteran leader).
But their roster needs more than just another big man on the rise. Horford isn’t the only Celtic getting up there in age. Jrue Holiday is already 34 years old, and Derrick White is 30.
Horford probably only has a year or two left in the league. Holiday and White will be around for longer than that, but it can’t hurt to start finding guys who can emulate what they do.
Celtics should start auditions for Derrick White and Jrue Holiday replacements
The Celtics don’t have a ton of room left on the roster, especially after they brought in Baylor Scheierman and Watson this year, but moving forward, this should be their top priority.
They already have Payton Pritchard on board, and he’ll be in green for a while. But he’s not the best defender. He hustles, and he can hold his own, but he’s a bit undersized.
Jaden Springer might be their first audition to be next up as a White or Holiday replacement. He showed some great flashes in Summer League this year, and he’s already a top-notch point-of-attack defender. If the three-ball comes around, he could play a real role in Boston starting in the next couple of years.
JD Davison, on the other hand, might never be an NBA-level guy. At least, not one the Celtics need. If his shot never becomes consistent, he may end up being someone who needs the ball a lot to be effective, and that probably won’t happen with the Celtics.
Boston should be targeting cast-off free agents and draft guys who are around the same height as White and Holiday, can defend at a high level, and have shown enough promise from beyond the arc that they could be molded into a solid shooter.
Obviously, it’s not easy to find someone as great on both ends as White and Holiday are. The same can be said about Horford. That’s why Boston needs to start the auditions now.
If they can rotate through some guys they like and don’t like by the time one of White or Holiday calls it quits, then maybe, just maybe, they can find a somewhat adequate replacement.
It’s never too early to plan for the future. Even on a championship roster. That’s how great teams become dynasties.