Are the Celtics better? – CelticsBlog

The previous two months have been an emotional rollercoaster for Celtics followers, to say the least.

Shedding in such agonizing vogue was brutal sufficient, and ever since, they’ve needed to endure a dizzying and endless sport of NBA musical chairs.

It’s arduous to recollect a commerce that’s yielded such all kinds of feelings. You speak to at least one buddy, he’s fired up. You speak to a different, he’s devastated. Kristaps Porzingis is factually a star, and the Celtics factually turned extra gifted, however he’s not Mahcus Smaht.

It’ll be unusual to see Good in a child blue uniform subsequent yr. He was the final word Celtic, and he’ll be missed. However placing sentimentality apart for a second, let’s have a look at this by means of a basketball lens.

The Celtics acquired Porzingis and signed Oshae Brissett and Dalano Banton and drafted Jordan Walsh. They misplaced Good, Mike Muscala, Danilo Gallinari and Grant Williams. Let’s not fear about all of the picks for now. That’ll simply complicate issues.

Let’s deal with the current. Are the Celtics higher now than they had been a month in the past? Do the 2023-24 Celtics (assuming Jaylen Brown stays, after all) have a greater probability of successful the NBA championship than the 2022-23 Celtics?

Truthfully, it’s a troublesome query to reply. On the one hand, it’s a clear-cut and definitive sure. They’ve a respectable Large Three for the primary time since Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Seven-foot-three unicorns who can drain 3’s are fairly uncommon. Truly, they’re unparalleled.

Porzingis is coming off a profession yr. He performed 65 video games final yr, which the Celtics would gladly take so long as he’s totally wholesome for the playoffs. However, earlier than that, he performed simply 51 in 2021-22 and 43 the yr prior.

It’s a calculated danger from Brad Stevens. He’s not enjoying darts with a blindfold. Stevens is aware of what he’s getting himself into, and he’s keen to take an opportunity due to Porzingis’ extremely distinctive talent set.

How concerning the hoops? Let’s say Porzingis stays comparatively wholesome, performs 60-70 video games and hits his stride within the playoffs. That sounds rosy. However will he mesh properly with the present and new items? Sure, he’ll.

In his press convention, Porzingis talked extensively about making life simpler for Brown and Tatum. He’s on the level in his profession the place he merely desires to win and doesn’t care about how the stats shake out.

Guarding all three of them goes to be an awfully tough process for opponents. You place your finest defender on Tatum and Brown goes off. You begin worrying about Brown and Porzingis feasts. You lastly verify all of them, and also you’re exhausted, then Derrick White goes off.

Porzingis’ capacity to attain inside and outside is essential. If he can end inside with effectivity and regularity, whereas additionally stepping out and taking pictures, that will go a good distance for a workforce that didn’t have a lot of a publish presence final yr. We’ll want to really see it in motion for affirmation, however in principle, it’s an enormous three that works chemistry-wise.

Wait a minute, although. Porzingis is nice at basketball. Everyone knows that. However what concerning the supporting solid?

Properly, the Celtics nonetheless have White, Malcolm Brogdon, Al Horford and Robert Williams. How’s that for a supporting solid? That’s a heck of a top-7 if everybody’s wholesome. Combine in somewhat Payton Pritchard, somewhat Sam Hauser and somewhat Walsh, Brissett or Banton primarily based on the matchups and also you’ve bought your self an elite NBA workforce.

However maintain on…What if Porzingis will get injured, Williams misses some video games, Brogdon’s nonetheless out and Horford appears to be like a yr older? Can White run the purpose extensively? Can Hauser maintain taking pictures at that clip? Is Pritchard prepared for added accountability? Will they miss Good’s hustle and Grant Williams’ taking pictures and nosiness?

These are all respectable questions and legitimate issues. You’re allowed to have them.

We will all agree that the Celtics are completely nonetheless excellent. They’re completely able to successful all of it. That’s not what’s up for debate. What’s up for debate is whether or not they have a greater probability than they did final yr.

Let’s have a look at their opponents for reference. Porzingis ought to assist offensively towards the Bucks, Warmth and 76ers. Having him in Sport 7 towards Miami might have gone a good distance. Can he guard Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo and Joel Embiid, although? Nobody’s asking him to close them down, however is he in a position to maintain them in verify? We don’t know the reply to that one. We’ll have to attend and see.

These groups, nonetheless, don’t have fairly the identical star energy because the Celtics. The Bucks are the one different workforce with a respectable Large 3.

Milwaukee might be somewhat deeper, Miami might be somewhat higher defensively and Philly has Embiid. Boston is, and may, be the favourite to return out of the East, but it surely’s going to be a battle like it’s yearly. The Cavaliers and Knicks can also’t be taken flippantly.

Some further keys on this complete factor: Can Porzingis deal with the strain? Can Brown worth the ball in key moments? Can Tatum embrace extra of a vocal management function? Can Pritchard make the most of the chance he’s desperately needed? Brissett will hustle, however can he shoot like Grant Williams? Do they want one other guard or large?

These are questions we don’t know the reply to, and that’s why this season is especially intriguing in some ways. Every particular person might find yourself eradicating any doubt, but it surely’s as much as them to show it.

Right here’s a little bit of a breakdown (one particular person’s opinion):

Star energy: This yearShooting: Final yearScoring: This yearDefense: Final yearDepth: Final yearRebounding: This yearVersatility: This yearGuts: Final yr

Chemistry: TBD

Ceiling: TBD

All of it sort of evens out ultimately and in the end comes right down to well being.

So, to reply the query, if the Celtics keep wholesome, if Porzingis performs to his potential and if the function gamers rise to the event, then sure, the Celtics are higher than they had been a month in the past.

This workforce has the potential to have much more firepower and a good greater ceiling than final yr. Will it? We’ll have to attend and discover out. That’s the enjoyable of it, proper?