After being on the brink of the NBA Finals, the Celtics entered the 2020-2021 campaign with some high expectations. Jayson Tatum looked like he was poised to reach superstar status, Jaylen Brown looked like he was finally putting it all together. Now, those two things have come to fruition, but, it has not translated into wins.
After 28 games, the Celtics are stuck at 14-14, and have lost five of their last seven games. The Celtics have truly hit a low point this past week, as they have been handed losses from the Hawks, Pistons, and Wizards. This Celtics team was supposed to compete for a championship, and be true contenders in the Eastern Conference. But, at this point, the C’s look more like pretenders than contenders. Danny Ainge went on 98.5 The Sports Hub, and reiterated the point that the roster is just not good enough.
“Our roster obviously is not good. I mean, we are a 14-14 team.”
When asked if he believes the Celtics are a championship team, Ainge responded by saying, “I do not.”
So, how did the Celtics reach this point?
This Celtics team has no depth, no true veteran presence, and an overpriced point guard with a severe knee injury.
This season, Kemba Walker is averaging his 16.4 points per game, which is his lowest total since his rookie season. He’s shooting 37% from the field, which is the lowest of his career. Walker, is almost 31 years old, and is due $107 million over the next three seasons. Don’t get me wrong, Kemba Walker is one of the most likeable players in the NBA, but he now has one of the most untradeable contracts in the NBA. He’s clearly not 100% healthy, and I truly doubt that he ever will be. Walker has already missed 15 games this season due to that knee injury.
Danny Ainge and the Celtics knew how Walker’s knee condition was, coming into the season, and they did not address it properly. The C’s signed Jeff Teague to be the team’s backup point guard, and Teague looks absolutely washed. He’s slow on both ends of the court, and it’s clear he doesn’t have much to give. At times, the C’s have been forced to rely on rookie guard Payton Pritchard.
Marcus Smart’s calf injury has also made matters worse in terms of ball-handling depth.
Ainge also dropped the ball in getting a return for Gordon Hayward this offseason. It seemed like a shoo-in that Hayward was going to return home to Indiana to play for the Pacers. The C’s seemed well-positioned to execute a sign and trade with the Pacers. Myles Turner was the rumored candidate to be the return, but the deal fell apart, and Hayward ended up in Charlotte. The Celtics were only able to land a trade exception from the Hornets.
Ainge ended up addressing the big man position by signing Tristan Thompson. He has been inconsistent this season, while Myles Turner is a candidate for the defensive player of the year award.
So, Ainge missed on free agents how did his drafts fare? The Celtics have made four, first-round draft picks in the last two season. The 2019 draft featured Romeo Langford and Grant Williams. The 2020 draft featured Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard. Ainge has endured some bad luck, over the past two years. Tyler Herro was selected one pick in front of Romeo Langford, and Tyrese Haliburton was selected two picks in front of Aaron Nesmith. However, the C’s pick of Payton Pritchard, looks like someone who could translate into a good rotation piece. But, Grant Williams is someone who is not ready for a high volume of minutes.
Second-year guard Romeo Langford has been out all season with a wrist injury, and rookie Aaron Nesmith has looked timid at times, and hasn’t shot the ball as well as I anticipated he would.
Everyone seems to want to blame Brad Stevens for the Celtics slow start. When in reality, I believe that it’s on Danny Ainge, and the construction of the roster. Along with the fact that Tatum and Brown need to be more consistent on a day-to-day basis. But, overall, Ainge has not been able to fill out the roster with the necessary role players, and it has caught up with them. Guys like Semi Ojeleye, Grant Williams, and Javonte Green should not be relied upon to make shots.
Even if the roster has its flaws, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown should be able to elevate the roster to an extent. But, both have showed a lack of effort at times, and both need to better and more mature leaders on the court. I mean, Tatum is only 22 years old, and Brown is only 24 years old.
Ainge admitted that the roster isn’t good enough, and the injuries this team has dealt with has made things more challenging. They’re not this bad, and they will be better once Marcus Smart can get healthy. But, their expectations should certainly be tempered.
This team seems destined to fall in the second round of the playoffs, and Ainge will be forced to reassess his roster.
The long-term future of the franchise is still bright, as Brown and Tatum are signed long-term. But, the next step is surrounding them with adequate rotation pieces.
Danny Ainge will be busy this trade deadline, I’m certain of it.