Right now final 12 months, I ranked the Celtics roster primarily based on who the most effective gamers on the workforce are, not most vital to the workforce. Let’s run again earlier than coaching camp begins.
Everyone knows how nice Tatum is and the way a lot the Celtics are going to overlook him. The workforce’s greatest scorer, passer, rebounder and most versatile defender when wholesome, Tatum probably gained’t be that even when he does return this season. However when he has two legs that work at their highest stage, Tatum is the most effective participant on the Celtics and one of many 5 greatest gamers within the league (LockedOn NBA however).
Let’s get into the rankings.
Shulga left one thing to be desired in Summer time League after being the 57th general decide within the NBA Draft. He didn’t flip the ball over a lot throughout the 5 video games he performed with simply 0.6 turnovers per recreation as a degree guard. Nevertheless, the 24% from the sector and 21% from three he shot was not what Boston was searching for.
Though he went undrafted, Luis was a greater school participant than Shulga was and has extra scoring prowess than Shulga does. Luis didn’t play in Summer time League attributable to a left knee challenge and was traded to the Celtics in August as part of the Georges Niang wage dump. At 6’7”, Luis’ dimension and athleticism have an opportunity to translate to the NBA.
The forty sixth decide within the draft, Williams was a participant who stood out at Summer time League along with his passing capacity. The remainder of his recreation wants to return alongside, primarily his protection, however I feel that Williams has a ability set that the Celtics can work with and develop right into a stable participant.
Simply the 2nd first spherical decide of the Brad Stevens period, Gonzalez is the one Celtic rookie on a normal contract. The Celtics are going to want him to seek out his three-pointer if they need him to grow to be a participant that they will depend on. He had a stable Summer time League however nothing particular, so it will likely be fascinating if he is ready to seize a number of the minutes accessible on the wing.
Final 12 months was not the 12 months the Celtics or Xavier Tillman hoped that Tillman would have. After enjoying stable minutes throughout the 2024 playoffs, Tillman appeared cooked final season. This was attributable to knee irritation that lingered all season lengthy. If Tillman can get again to the way in which he was enjoying throughout the championship run, he has an opportunity to play huge minutes at middle for the Celtics.
Nevertheless, I’m not anticipating that as a result of it’s actually exhausting to bounce again from knee accidents like Tillman had. The Celtics had been hopeful that Tillman’s three-point shot would come alongside, too. It has not but and I don’t suppose it ever will, however we’ll at all times have his three-pointer in Sport 3 of the Finals.
I feel I’m decrease on Walsh than the consensus is perhaps, however sooner or later, gamers are what they’re. Walsh had a stable Summer time League, a step up from his disastrous 2024 run, however he by no means appeared like the most effective participant on the courtroom and he ought to have. That looks like a excessive bar to climb however he was enjoying towards guys who’ve performed much less minutes within the league than he has. The shot simply hasn’t developed the way in which Boston had hoped it will as we enter his third NBA season, so he doesn’t present a ton of worth offensively. I feel the Josh Minott signing indicators what the Celtics consider Walsh’s long-term outlook.
The Celtics actually like Luka Garza. It feels like an apparent assertion, however they signed him over a bunch of various gamers who’re probably higher than Garza for a place they badly want some depth. Garza’s protection leaves rather a lot to be desired, however he has proven he can rating the ball down low, capturing 65.5% on pictures within 10 ft final season. The Celtics suppose they will unlock one thing in Garza, and I’m anxious to see if they will.
I actually favored the way in which Scheierman closed final season. From March fifteenth to the tip of the common season, Scheierman performed in all however one recreation, averaging 6.1 factors, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists whereas capturing 40% from the sector and 37% from three. His assists mark doesn’t present it, however the most effective a part of Baylor’s recreation is his passing. His courtroom imaginative and prescient is admittedly enjoyable. I’m apprehensive, nevertheless, about his lackluster Summer time League. Poor capturing luck undoubtedly performed an element, however Scheierman didn’t stick out in any approach throughout Summer time League the place he ought to seem like among the finest, if not the only greatest, gamers on the courtroom.
Josh Minott is in an analogous place that Jordan Walsh is as an athletic wing that struggles to shoot three-pointers. Minott had a great season within the arc final 12 months, capturing 64% on two-pointers. His athleticism ought to permit for him to be a great defender on this workforce, one thing Boston will want badly.
Neemias Queta performed nicely towards stiff competitors in EuroBasket. I will likely be sincere, I’m not all that eager about Queta’s offense. He’s what he’s on that facet of the courtroom. A rim operating huge who is an efficient display screen setting, good lob finisher and completed across the basket higher final season than he did in 2024. Certain, his passing coming alongside could be good, however I’m not too apprehensive about that. It’s the defensive facet of the ground we’d like strides from Queta on. I need him to grow to be an even bigger defensive presence on this workforce.
If the Celtics are going to have any success this season, Queta must be higher on protection. Too typically final 12 months, he was out of place, resulting in an offensive rebound. His rim safety additionally wants to enhance, after being hidden for lots of 2023-24, a whole lot of Queta’s defensive warts had been on full show final season. He wants to enhance on that facet of the ground to be a long-term piece in Boston.
I’m actually to see what Boucher’s position goes to be this season. He’s a man who can play the 4 and the 5 and will completely be a starter this season for the Celtics. Measurement goes to be an enormous downside for the Celtics and Boucher’s capacity to play each huge spots is one thing that I’m certain Joe Mazzulla goes to depend on this season. He had a great season capturing the ball final 12 months, 36% from three and 34% on above the break threes. Though that was his greatest season capturing threes, there could possibly be some regression there. He as soon as gained G-League Defensive Participant of the Yr however he isn’t somebody who’s an elite defensive participant, largely due to how skinny he’s, at 6’9” and 200 lbs.
Retaining Sam Hauser was the most effective transfer Brad Stevens made this summer time — assuming he doesn’t have any tips up his sleeve within the remaining weeks earlier than coaching camp — as a result of Hauser’s ability set is one thing that each workforce wants. I wrote a number of Hauser commerce articles this summer time, largely as a result of Celtics must get beneath the 2nd apron, but Boston was capable of pull it off with out shifting Hauser, which is an enormous deal.
A man who can shoot off of motion and with out the necessity to reload on his threes, is one thing that each workforce ought to worth. A profession 42% three-point shooter, Hauser had his worst season from three-point land final 12 months… at 41.6%, a nonetheless actually stable quantity. His protection additionally stays essentially the most underrated high quality of his recreation. Whereas Hauser isn’t a shutdown defender, his dimension and size permit for him to carry up nicely sufficient on that facet of the courtroom. The Celtics are coming into a brand new chapter of the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown period, and Sam Hauser needs to be part of it.
If there may be one factor Anfernee Simons can do, it’s rating the basketball. Acquired for Jrue Vacation, Simons is coming off of a season by which he averaged 19.3 factors, 4.8 assists and a couple of.7 rebounds per recreation. The scoring is down from the earlier two seasons the place he averaged over 20 factors per recreation in these seasons.
Nevertheless, Simons isn’t essentially the most environment friendly participant within the NBA, along with his area purpose share and his true capturing share dipping in every of the final three seasons. His protection is missing attributable to his lack of dimension, however there may be an effort challenge there as nicely. Simons is the type of participant we noticed the NBA go away from this summer time. Undersized guards who can rating weren’t seen as excessive worth belongings. I feel Simons will play a smaller position on this Celtics workforce than he has in Portland over the previous few seasons however Boston will nonetheless want his capacity to attain the ball.
The reigning sixth Man of the Yr had the most effective season of his profession final 12 months, averaging 14.3 factors, 3.8 rebounds and three.5 assists per recreation final season. I anticipate Pritchard to take one other leap this season, in what is going to probably be his first as a starter. He was very environment friendly final season, capturing 47% from the sector, 41% from three with a real capturing share of 63%. There’s a world the place Payton is Boston’s second choice this season, behind Jaylen Brown. He’s going to have the ball in his palms rather a lot and can must be able to benefit from the large alternative that he’s being offered with.
Derrick White is an elite participant, everyone knows this. His protection and skill to shoot the three-ball has taken off in methods I don’t suppose the Celtics even anticipated after they traded for him on the 2022 deadline. There are some weaknesses. He must get higher at entry passes — too typically when White is throwing an entry go the ball is turned over. If we see extra of White with the ball in his palms this season, he’s going to want to enhance as an general playmaker and I’m excited to see what that appears like. Derrick White is superior and goes to be part of the Celtics success going into future years.
The 2025-26 Celtics are going to go so far as Jaylen Brown takes them. He signed the super-max contract, he gained the Finals MVP and he has made All-NBA. Betting on Jaylen Brown has labored out for the Celtics all through his time in Boston, together with after they drafted him when there have been boos on the TD Backyard. I anticipate Brown to common a profession excessive in factors per recreation, which is 26.6 ppg in 2022-23. Brown goes to be requested to play a job that he has by no means performed earlier than, the #1 choice and I’m excited to see how he responds to it.
Shoutout to Tomesz Kordylewski for the spotlight packages; should you haven’t checked out his YouTube web page, be sure to do this. It’s a necessary for each Celtics fan.
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