Boston Celtics About To Explode Into Relevance

No matter how this year’s playoffs end for the Boston Celtics, they are close to being elite once more.

So far, the 2016 NBA Playoffs have been a bit hit and miss, if we’re honest. Sure there have been some exciting games, but there have also been a ton of blowouts and a couple of sweeps, courtesy of the San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Even worse, injuries have already altered the landscape dramatically, with the likes of Stephen Curry, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin already done for the postseason or out for longer than their team can afford. It opens the door for the so-called lesser teams, but it’s no fun seeing the big star sit it out.

Amidst all of this, the Boston Celtics are down 3-2 in their series against the Atlanta Hawks. The contests between the two so far have been physical, and at times ugly (the first quarter of Game 5 Tuesday evening was a master class in poor shot selection and looking like you’re intentionally trying to miss the basket).

No matter how that series ends though, this season has been a triumph for the Celtics in terms of how they’ve achieved given the players they have. It’s been a success for another more crucial reason however, and that is that we are potentially looking at the next great NBA team.

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Right now that destiny doesn’t seem so clear. Evan Turner and Jonas Jerebko are serviceable NBA players no question, but if they’re both starting for you, you’re hardly a contender. That’s not to pick on these guys; the roster the Celtics have put together is littered with role players and potential.

The reason they’re ahead of schedule with their rebuild from the Big Four era of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo is because of head coach Brad Stevens. The guy is essentially overachieving with the players he’s got and that’s a testament to his coaching ability.

Where it gets better if you’re a Boston fan, however, is the ability they now have to entice free agents to come and play for them this summer. Imagine for a second you were a top-level free agent. In no particular order, here are the things the Celtics have going for them.

The coaching abilities of Stevens; working with him is already enticing to some players. The money to not only pay you well, but to likely nab a second key player as well. This can’t be overstated. We live in a star-driven league and if you can pair two (or even one and a half) of them with Stevens, you’re cooking.

Add to that the rapidly improving Marcus Smart, the dynamic Isaiah Thomas and the hard-working Jae Crowder, and you’ve got yourself not only a playoff-bound team, but a seriously fun one at that.

The opportunity to play for that organization works in their favor as well. As a fan, I know the history behind that green jersey and the potential to make my own legacy would definitely factor into my decision.

The Celtics have been rebuilding for a little while now and while it’s been fun to see smaller market teams become more competitive, you do kind of miss having the Celtics (and indeed, the Los Angeles Lakers) as a contending team.

Their fan bases when they’re relevant are superb and they’re just big teams with a built-in rivalry between the two. It gets even better though, as because of the smart business moves of the front office (including that highway robbery of a deal with the Brooklyn Nets) the Celtics have a whopping three first-round picks in the draft this summer.

Given the ability of the Celtics to draft well (Rondo was drafted 21st by the Phoenix Suns in the 2006 draft and picked up by the Celtics that night) you can bet that at least one of those picks will give this team some meaningful contribution sooner rather than later.

In fact, one of their picks will fall no lower than sixth, meaning they can add a player of real quality to their ranks as well. So to recap, if I’m somebody like Kevin Durant, I know the Celtics can give me money, a second high-level player, elite coaching, role players and heaps of young talent. What a situation that is.

Really though the key thing this team has going for it as summer approaches is choice. Every team in the league now has money to spend thanks to the new television deal, but the Celtics have much more than that.

Other organizations need to keep star players happy or frantically scramble to find any talent they can to come and join them. The Celtics can be flexible, though. Do they follow the trend and try to become an elite three-point shooting team?

The Celtics shot 33.5 percent from deep during the regular season. Only the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers had worse marks from long range.

Maybe they go their own way and play to the strengths of Stevens. That’s the point, though; unlike so many other teams who are operating with far less wiggle room, this team can go in any direction it chooses.

Also key to this team moving forward is Thomas. He’s been tremendous so far this postseason (averaging 24 points a game on an effective field goal percentage of 46.3). He’s their best player, but with the greatest of respect to him, any team where he is the go-to guy won’t go all the way.

Luckily for them, Thomas has been in some tough situations, first in Sacramento with the Kings, and then in Phoenix, so he’s likely to adapt for the good of the team. He’s already played the sixth man role elsewhere before and he’d be an absolute hit backing up a couple of All-Stars here as well.

So while the Boston Celtics may ultimately bow out of the playoffs at the first hurdle this season, it feels like a kind of coming-out party for them. Unlike the Lakers, they truly are on their way back and they’ve been extremely smart in keeping their flexibility intact to make a big splash this summer.

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They surely will attract top-level talent (Al Horford would appear to be a great fit, while the Blake Griffin situation needs to be monitored) and have already proven to be a capable squad as they are. What we’re looking at now would appear to be the bones of a team that will one day be the NBA’s best once more.