Boston Celtic Preview 2017/18

So the Celtics finally acquired the talents of Gordan StayHayward. Having led Utah to a decent playoff run he was just about ready to receive the giant Mormon key to the city. Utah was offering him one hell of max contract, a reported shit ton of dollars (give or take a fuck ton) to be a big fish in a very, very small pond.

I'd follow Daryl to the ends of the earth.

I guess he feels like he isn’t the small pond type. Gordon Hayward jumped ship and joined his old college coach, Brad Stevens, in Boston.

Boston Rising
Boston has been on the rise for some time now. Brad Stevens has created a scrappy team in New England and Danny Ainge has swindled a thousand draft picks and is just itching to drop them like Yu Gi Oh dropping Exodiar on a bitch, Bloaw!

I summon draft picks.. IN DEFENSE MODE!

Before the Celtics picked Jayson Tatum first in the draft, there were talks of them trying to lure the services of unsettled small forward, Paul George and the also unsettled small forward, Jimmy “Buckets” Butler. Let’s not forget they also missed out on Demarcus Cousins (which is definitely a blessing in disguise). The Celtics had been sitting on a pile of gold for a very long time and the pressure was starting to mount on when they were going to use them.

They are my draft picks, hobbits!

That moment came from some of the fallout of the Finals. A disgruntled Kyrie, tired of being Lebron’s baby brother and enduring the never-ending media circus that destroys everything in Bron-Brons wake, requested a trade.

Shoot me, Lebron. Let Bosh go, he doesn't deserve this!

The Celtics took a hard look at their roster and heartlessly concluded that defensive liability and elite scorer Isiah Thomas (who had just averaged 30pg) was expendable - especially after news came that his hip injury would keep him out of action for half of the season. Along with a second and first round pick, Zizic and Jae Crowder, Isiah caught the midnight train to the Land.

The thing that rankled many was the way Isaiah had been treated. Isaiah took the Celtics to their first Eastern Conference final in years. He played valiantly after learning of his sister’s death. He had his tooth knocked out and still balled but only to be traded.

Some are even arguing, what are you really getting for all of those assets (one of which could be a number 1 pick!)?
You get an elite scorer who can’t defend for… an elite scorer who can’t defend.

But there are key differences between these two. Isaiah is going to miss half a season, which is production the Celtics can’t afford to lose if they are going to capitalise on their previous success.

I wish I had a rabbit in a hat with a bat...

They also get a player who is 3 years younger than Isaiah. Defensively, no matter how hard Thomas tries, he will never be a good defender. He is just too short. Kyrie Irving has the potential to at least be passable and has shown he can defend when he feels like it. He also has it in him to be more of a distributor.

There was virtually no reason for Kyrie to fulfil that role on a team with the point forward Lebron James.

My ball... Mine!

The Celtics have improved dramatically and could potentially have a team to upset the Cavs. I say upset because it is still a long shot. But a core of Hayward, Irving, Horford plus Stevens as coach could give the Cavs one or two things to think about.

But what of Cleveland? How do they come out in this trade? That depends on two factors, does IT get healthy and what do those picks turn into? If Thomas gains fitness for the second half of the season, he could be that true little brother that Lebron needs. Someone that “buys in” more than the reportedly aloof Kyrie. Someone who can massage Lebron’s massive ego. He is also an elite scorer so that isn’t too much of a miss and once again, it’s not like Kyrie defended anyway and he managed to help Lebron win a chip.

Those picks have the potential to turn into something or be traded for something - there is potential that the pick is a high lottery pick, depending on how hard Brooklyn suck this year. Zizic is reportedly a centre that has a high-ceiling and Jae Crowder will help defensively. The flip side is that Isaiah may not ever be the player he was before. A second round pick yields gold once in a blue moon and a  7-10 lottery pick isn’t statistically destined to produce a franchise player.

Either way, we are looking at a shift in the power of the Eastern Conference. Not a full blown shift, Cleveland are still going to make the finals and will continue to do so while Lebron still draws breath (and isn’t in LA… but that is a longer post that I will never write). But the Celtics now have the skill potential to seriously bloody Cleveland’s nose. Anything can happen...