With just a few months left within the season, some gamers nonetheless have one thing to achieve or show. I requested our workers to weigh in on their ideas:
Benjamin Torbert
I’m between Grant and Brown for this query, and it comes all the way down to money cash. Brown can earn the potential for a 5 yr $290M contract extension with an All-NBA nod this yr. Grant is clearly approaching restricted free company this summer season. I’ll say Grant has extra to achieve/lose. Brown goes to make absurd cash on his subsequent contract regardless. The lasting impression Grant leaves groups with within the playoffs might be the distinction between him incomes $12M per yr on his subsequent contract versus $20M per yr. That may be a pretty important incomes vary that will probably be determined within the subsequent few months.
Harris Rubenstein
I’m going to zag right here and say Robert Williams. By some means, regardless of enjoying solely 23 video games on principally 20 minutes per recreation, he’s third on the DPOY ladder on NBA.com. We’ve hit the purpose the place the notion of Timelord is much totally different from the truth of Timelord. The accidents, the bizarre minutes, the missed video games, it’s time for it to cease and for him to be unleashed, for his personal good. I’m glad to attend for the playoffs for this to occur…however it truly has to HAPPEN. It may possibly’t simply be this constant rollercoaster for a man who, for at the very least the previous few video games, has regarded a bit out of rhythm. I feel he must show this group can depend on him to be on the ground and deal with massive minutes throughout their championship window. No higher time like the current, unleash the Timelord.
Daniel Poarch
Grant Williams has positioned a guess on himself, and there’s some huge cash on the road. The failure of Williams and the Celtics’ entrance workplace to come back to an settlement on a contract extension final summer season has been a lingering storyline all season lengthy, and it’s going to have important implications for each participant and group this offseason. Williams is reportedly searching for as much as $20 million yearly in restricted free company, however it’s truthful to query whether or not his play on the courtroom has earned such a deal. He’s improved offensively, however to not a very dramatic extent, and his defensive impression has been much less constant than it was final season. It’s shaping as much as be a vital postseason for Williams if he desires to persuade the Celtics — or another person — to place the massive bucks on the desk.
Trevor Hass
I’d say Jaylen Brown has essentially the most to show. I’m not fully certain why, however it nonetheless feels as if means too many individuals on the market don’t notice simply how dynamic he’s. A robust end to the season (masks or no masks) would go a good distance for each him personally and the Celtics. He was terrific the majority of the playoffs, and he’s absolutely able to taking it to he subsequent degree whereas limiting his turnovers in key moments.
Ben Vallis
Brown wants to enhance his capability to hold non Tatum lineups. I feel an enormous a part of that must be letting White or Brogdon deal with the vast majority of the playmaking, whereas Brown appears for extra off-ball alternatives, even when that’s simply utilizing his gravity to open up scoring alternatives for others.
Michael Spooner
I feel it’s Tatum. There’s not been a Celtic since Chook that’s been within the convo as the most effective participant within the league (besides perhaps KG in his first season). If he will get a title and an all-nba first group nod, he’ll very firmly set up himself in that dialog. Tatum’s early years have put him in a spot the place he can construct an extremely compelling profession, doubtlessly all-time nice degree. This could be a large step in that route, and to me, that’s a extra important growth than absolutely anything.
Robbie Hodin
I feel it must be Grant Williams. If he has one other playoffs like he did final season (locking up opposing wings and hitting threes), he’s in for a BIG pay increase. Guys like him are solely rising in worth, and I don’t assume the Celtics will probably be too content material letting him go in free company this summer season — he matches fairly completely into what they’ve constructed and the place they’re going as a group. In opposition to Giannis, particularly, I feel he’ll be a reasonably pivotal defensive stopper and can play quite a lot of minutes.
Jack Simone
On a person degree, the reply is Grant Williams. On a team-level, it’s Sam Hauser. For Williams, this season is all in regards to the summer season. If he can end the yr with sturdy defensive performances, an improved sense of shot consciousness (not passing up open threes), and an amazing playoff run, he ought to safe the bag, and the Celtics ought to really feel nice giving it to him. If not, it might trigger some issues. As for Hauser, he’s actually the one true wing on the roster behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. If he can proceed capturing at a excessive degree on a constant foundation and keep away from one other stoop, it will strengthen the Celtics’ rotation and keep away from the notion that no matter wing they add utilizing the fifteenth roster spot ought to get minutes over him. Plus, when he’s at his finest shooting-wise, he might truly earn playoff minutes in the appropriate conditions. But when he struggles, the Celtics will probably be left with one much less shooter, one much less wing, and one much less dependable playoff piece.
Mike Dynon
There are quite a few Celtics with a lot to achieve or lose relying on the end result of this season. As an illustration, will Grant Williams’ play earn him a giant payday in restricted free company? Will Jaylen Brown make All-NBA and thus turn into eligible for tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in further compensation by a supermax contract extension? Will Jayson Tatum win MVP or, much more vital, lead the Celtics again to the Finals and this time deliver dwelling the trophy?
However the largest query might be this: Can the chronically injured Robert Williams stay wholesome for a whole postseason? He couldn’t final season, which deeply broken the Celtics’ prospects. And to date this season Rob has appeared in simply 23 of Boston’s 59 video games. He’s being rested on back-to-backs to restrict his wear-and-tear. Will that make a distinction? As a result of though Luke Kornet has crammed in properly in the course of the common season, the Celtics completely want Rob’s protection, shot-blocking and lob-finishing with a purpose to win all of it. It’s that straightforward.
Tim Sheils
I feel Grant Williams wants to indicate some extra consistency to earn his massive payday of the offseason, Robert Williams must show he can get again to 100% earlier than the playoffs, and Jayson Tatum has an opportunity to shut out the season actually sturdy and earn his MVP nod. Outdoors of that, I feel Jaylen Brown actually wants to shut out sturdy with the hope that he will get All-NBA. If that doesn’t occur, the supermax isn’t doable for him, and that can be sure you gasoline any noise of him leaving when his contract is up.
Jeff Clark
I don’t have a ton so as to add relating to Grant or Jaylen so I’ll transfer a bit of additional down the listing and point out Payton Pritchard. He’s made his case that he deserves extra minutes and he’s made it identified that he would welcome a change of surroundings eventually (to get that chance). That’s all properly and good and doubtless a great factor for sustaining his confidence whereas not getting the sorts of minutes a participant of his expertise degree deserves. With that mentioned, the commerce deadline is behind us and there’s nothing that may be finished about that until the offseason. Now he must concentrate on being prepared and being the most effective teammate he could be. The remaining can work itself out later.
