Ignored storylines concerning the Boston Celtics

At this time’s matter: What’s an missed storyline or growth that you simply suppose isn’t being talked about sufficient?

Trevor Hass

This might change tomorrow, however in the mean time, the Celtics are giving Payton Pritchard the inexperienced gentle and the chance he’s craved. I believe all of us anticipated him to move elsewhere, proper? Effectively, it hasn’t occurred but. Pritchard by no means needed out of Boston; he simply needed minutes. Now, barring any extra strikes, it appears to be like like he’ll get them. Even when Malcolm Brogdon finally ends up beginning the season wholesome, realistically, it might not keep that manner. Joe Mazzulla prefers to maintain his rotation comparatively tight, however at the moment, it looks as if Pritchard is a part of it. He’s risen to the event most of the time when given the chance, and there’s no cause to count on something much less. It’ll be thrilling to see what he does if every part stays as is. If it doesn’t, then perhaps it wasn’t meant to be. So long as he’s enjoying someplace, he’ll be simply effective.

Benjamin Torbert

Rob Williams. Full cease. He had his moments final yr, however on stability that was not the Rob Williams we noticed for a couple of 4-month stretch within the 2021-22 season the place he elevated his recreation and briefly turned that workforce right into a verifiable juggernaut. Though Good deservedly received DPOY for that season, Rob had a particularly worthy case as properly. If Rob will be THAT Rob once more (even when it’s for under 60 video games or so), the Celtics would be the finest workforce within the league. Will Rob be wholesome? Terrifying query for Celtics followers. But when he’s wholesome – terrifying proposition for the remainder of the league.

Ethan Fuller

Derrick White had his clear finest NBA season final yr, and it looks as if the Celtics took be aware and solidified him because the chief of the guard rotation. He’s earned it, however can he match the manufacturing with much less depth at his place? Can White stay an All-Protection participant after final yr’s draining schedule, and with out Marcus Good beside him? Is the perimeter capturing right here to remain or primed for regression? How does his position change initiating the offense with Good gone? I’m completely a believer in White’s recreation, however he’ll additionally have to again up the usual he set final season.

Photograph By Winslow Townson/Getty Photographs

Jeff Pratt

Trying on the present roster, it’s the position Payton Pritchard must play on a constant foundation.

This time final yr, I wrote about how Pritchard was in a tricky spot with Boston’s surplus of succesful guards forward of him on the depth chart. After the Marcus Good-Kristaps Porzingis commerce, that’s now not the case. Everybody assumed Pritchard being dealt was inevitable heading into the offseason, particularly contemplating how public he’s been with these needs. Nevertheless, his largest gripe with the group was an absence of enjoying time. As of proper now, that received’t be a problem for him subsequent season.

Derrick White will nearly actually slide into the place to begin guard position in Good’s absence, with Malcolm Brogdon enjoying vital backcourt minutes when wholesome. Nevertheless, Pritchard may be very clearly the third guard in Boston’s rotation proper now, which suggests he ought to obtain 10-20 minutes of enjoying time on a nightly foundation.

That is the chance Payton has been hoping for. It’s as much as him to show he’s able to dealing with that sort of workload.

Mike Dynon

Derrick White being handed the keys. There’s been loads of emotional response to the commerce of Marcus Good, and rightly so. Good was the longest-tenured Celtic, the vocal chief each on and off the courtroom, and the favourite of a big share of Boston followers.

In the meantime, there hasn’t been as a lot dialogue about White changing into the purpose guard by default. He’s actually certified to run the workforce: final season he was certainly one of simply 10 NBA gamers to seem in 82 video games; his internet score of 11.0 was third finest in your entire league (55 video games or extra); and his 76 blocks led all NBA guards and helped him earn All-Protection second workforce. When Good was injured at midseason, White received a Participant of the Week award by averaging 24.5 factors, 4.5 rebounds and seven.5 assists whereas capturing .522/.515/.900. Boston received all 4 video games that week.

It appeared just like the Celtics had been a greater workforce when White performed than when he didn’t, however with Malcolm Brogdon additionally taking backcourt minutes, White generally was not noted. As an example, the Cs went to time beyond regulation in 11 video games, and in 5 of these White sat for your entire further time. In one other he performed only one second of OT. And within the one recreation that went to double time beyond regulation, White performed the final three minutes solely after Good fouled out.

These days are over now. With Good gone, White will direct the offense and be counted on to produce “profitable performs.” We solely have to suppose again to the tip of Recreation 6 in Miami to know the way succesful he’s.

Jeff Clark

For me it must be Jayson Tatum. A whole lot of consideration is (appropriately) going to Jaylen Brown and his supermax deal and the brand new man Kristaps Porzingis. However often championship groups are pushed by their finest participant. Tatum has made enhancements yearly within the league, some extra noticeable than others. The final step for him is likely to be his hardest. Management.

That’s to not say that he hasn’t been a frontrunner in his personal manner through the years. That isn’t to say that he has to seem like a particular sort of chief. However Marcus Good is gone now and all eyes can be on Tatum and Brown to set the tone in their very own manner.

I believe Tatum has Finals MVP potential however he can’t do it alone, which suggests he has to steer.