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With the star power of the Boston Celtics, they have unfortunately underperformed in the first 49 games of their campaign. Even with the plethora of injuries and COVID-19 protocols surrounding the team, these have been the same issues for their opponents as well. There were some matches wherein the Celtics simply succumbed to subpar squads or relinquished several double-digit leads.
The Celtics have a terrific way of building a cushion through their sheer talent, but they must sustain that stretch for 48 minutes. The best statistic to prove this: They are currently no. 4 in the Eastern Conference in net rating even if they are just no. 8 in the team standings. Performances in the fourth quarter have been atrocious for Jayson Tatum and company, which also exposes one of the biggest holes in their roster.
Biggest need the Celtics must address at the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline
After having Isaiah Thomas, Kyrie Irving, and Kemba Walker, the Celtics were not able to replace Walker with an All-Star caliber guard. Marcus Smart, Dennis Schroder, and Payton Pritchard have been alternating at the one spot this season, but none of them are incredible facilitators for a squad that heavily relies on the scoring of Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
As a contrast, the Chicago Bulls or Miami Heat have also constructed their squad with two sensational wings, but they have reliable playmakers to slow the game down and set them up offensively.
Many of the late-game struggles of the Celtics are due to the questionable decision-making and isolation plays of their stars. The offense gets stagnant as they end up chucking long range bombs with the shot clock winding down, which eventually leads to long rebounds and transition baskets on the other end. Through the availability of a true playmaker before the trade deadline, the Celtics have the movable contracts of Schroder and Josh Richardson to upgrade on a guard that fits more with the system of coach Ime Udoka.
Udoka has experimented with Tatum at point guard for certain junctures in the last few games as his selflessness and vision have improved immensely. However, running the offense is not a major strength of Tatum, which opens up the necessity of having at least one or two more facilitators. When he is put in the perfect position to blossom, Tatum's performance even escalates to a whole new level where he is close to unstoppable.
With the current crop of guys, there are certain plays wherein Smart pushes the ball in transition and sets up Tatum, Brown, and even their big men for tremendous plays. Even if Smart is a brilliant basketball mind, his priories on the court are defending the opponent's best player and hustling for the 50/50 balls. He could flourish more as a secondary playmaker on the Celtics, but not as the primary individual who sets up the plays.
Lonzo Ball, Kyle Lowry, and Ricky Rubio are three free agents from the previous offseason who could have massively benefitted if they decided to play for the Beantown Boys. Any NBA fan has seen the positive impact of these point guards for their respective organizations. They have been able to unlock the potential of their underrated teammates like Nikola Vucevic, Tyler Herro, and Evan Mobley.
The huge salary of Al Horford limits the Celtics' flexibility before the offseason, but president of basketball operations Brad Stevens could tweak the lineup and bolster it to compete with the best of the best in the Eastern Conference. For a squad like the Celtics, who have solid foundational pieces, the necessary moves would not need to be mind-blowing, but the changes must open up a ton of more opportunities on both ends, especially for one of the best tandems in the NBA in Tatum and Brown.
