Miami Heat Scouting the Enemy: Boston Celtics

We’re preparing for the coming NBA season by scouting the conference opponents of the Miami Heat. Next up on the list is the Boston Celtics.

Much like the Miami Heat will be doing this season as they prepare for their opponents, we’re going to break down each divisional and conference rival in regards to their offseason and their outlook for the 2019-20 season.

We have moved on from the Miami Heat’s Southeast Division, and now we are looking at the rest of the Eastern Conference. Here, we will be scouting a quite intriguing team in the Boston Celtics.

Off-season Review

There are two sides to how you can look at the Celtics’ off-season. One is that they lost and the other is that they won. That is how you should view the Kyrie Irving Saga.

On the one hand, the entire drama surrounding the team last year could have been solely because of Irving. On the other hand, the Celtics lost one of the best point guards in the entire league and will be worse for it.

Whatever the case is, there is a worse loss the Celtics will feel during this season. That is not re-signing Al Horford.

Although Horford didn’t stuff the stat sheet, he provides much value that isn’t easily replaced. In addition, he played a significant role in stopping Joel Embiid.

Marcus Morris is another loss that may hurt them in the playoffs. Aside from Irving and Horford, Morris was the third oldest player on the team. That experience brings vital leadership and the ability to mentor younger players during the playoffs.

However, there is one player that decided to leave the team that may seem as if it is addition by subtraction. Terry Rozier or also known as Scary Terry, wasn’t very scary after that one playoff series during the previous season. Rozier didn’t seem like a great fit on the Celtics and it didn’t look as if that was going to change.

Now, let’s get to the positives of their off-season.

Kemba Walker, a three-time All-star and just last year a member of the All-NBA third team, is heading to Boston. He may not be on the same tier as Irving is, but it isn’t all about talent when it comes to building a championship team. Walker seems like the exact point guard the Celtics need.

Another addition is bringing in Enes Kanter. If their idea was to have Kanter replace Horford, then this doesn’t look like a good deal. He won’t bring much defense to the team but he will provide additional offense and improve the team’s rebounding, as they were ranked 22nd there last season.

Finally, we have a number of rookies coming in that will be looking to make an impact in their first year as a pro. These names for the Celtics include high profile rookies Grant Williams, Carsen Edwards, Tremont Waters and of course, there is the one and only fan-favorite in Tacko Fall.

Outlook

With all these changes to the team, how will that translate during the season? Will they be better or worse than last season? Will they be better than the Miami Heat?

Last season, they won 49 games and ranked fourth in the conference, but that was with Irving, Horford, and Hayward missing a combined 39 games. With that in mind, there can easily be a case to say the Celtics could win 50 plus games this season.

As mentioned above, Walker seems like the better point guard when it comes to fit and chemistry, but how long will it take for them to gel together and find the necessary chemistry. It took some time for the team to get used to a ball-dominant guard in Irving.

This will be the same case with Walker, because after all, where has Walker been for all of his career? In Charlotte, being the number one guy all the time. Now, we get to the young guys.

After posterizing LeBron James in the conference finals, Jayson Tatum hasn’t lived up to the hype, even with the special Mamba Mentality Training.  Although statistically speaking, you can make the case that he improved based on an increase in points, rebounds, and assists, but when you look beyond the box-score, that isn’t the case.

Tatum had a decrease in true shooting percentage, offensive and defensive win shares, while attempting fewer threes and while shooting more mid-range shots. The math is simple, shooting more mid-range shots won’t help the offense.

During an interview, Tatum stated he was “making the game tougher” with all the fadeaways and mid-range shots. His primary focus for this year is to “Shoot more 3s, and layups, and free throws.” Hopefully, that will translate into wins.

Another key player on the team that will seek an increased role is Jaylen Brown. Brown has been solid for two straight years now, unfortunately, solid isn’t enough if they are aiming as high as a title. With his contract extension potentially being on the table this season, don’t be surprised if his touches increase.

How can we forget about Gordon Hayward? He was an All-Star that averaged 20 points per game!

Now, however, he is barely averaging double digits while also having the 2nd least shot attempts in his career. Within six days of the production of this piece though, we will be a full two years removed from his gruesome injury. Being fully healthy, with a more team-friendly point guard, and an increase in offensive load, Hayward could make a case for Most Improved Player.

This isn’t a championship-caliber team nor is this a team that could make the finals in my opinion, but that’s not really important right now. That’s because they are good enough to be a top-4 team in the conference and they will certainly be battling with the Miami Heat for home-court advantage. After the playoffs start, all bets are off and anything could happen.