Boston Celtics: Best Move They Did And Didn’t Make
The Boston Celtics got a seat at Kevin Durant‘s table, but couldn’t beat the allure of Golden State. What other moves did they miss out on? What was the best move they did make?
Every offseason dawns with limitless dreams for every team. Some teams see the best of those dreams realized, such as when Cleveland got to welcome home LeBron James two summers ago. But no team sees every dream realized, as the constraints of cap space and roster limitations spread talent around the league.
Over the coming weeks Hoops Habit will take a walk around the league and highlight the best move of every team this offseason – as well as the best move they didn’t make. Today’s spotlight shines on the Boston Celtics.
The Celtics didn’t see their greatest dreams realized — signing Kevin Durant and flanking him with another pair of superstars — but they did come out as winners in free agency. Whether they did enough to challenge Cleveland in the East will not be known from some months, but that the Celtics got better is undeniable.
Best Move They Made: Signing Al Horford
For a handful of teams their best move is obvious, and for Boston that is the signing of All-Star big man Al Horford. After spending his entire nine-year career in Atlanta, Horford moves up north to flex his muscles in a different organization.
The Celtics have a collection of elite wing defenders on their roster, from Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart in the backcourt to forwards Jae Crowder and rookie Jaylen Brown. Horford brings intelligent, savvy defense to their backline, something Boston has specialized in for the last few seasons.
Horford is not an athletic marvel who will leap five feet above the rim and swat shots out of the building. But he averaged 1.5 blocks per game last season, putting himself in the right place at the right time. Even more so, Horford rarely fouls, putting him seventh in the league in blocks-per-personal fouls.
On offense Horford fits right into the system head coach Brad Stevens has in place. He can move without the ball, setting back screens and getting into post position to keep defenses distracted from the ball-handler.
He has range out to the three-point line, hitting more three-pointers (88) than any other center in the league. Second on that list was Kelly Olynyk, also a Boston Celtic.
Another underrated part of Horford’s game is his passing ability. Horford sees the court on offense and defense, and can keep the ball moving or pass out of a double team to keep the offense in flow.
Above the on-court abilities that make Horford a perfect fit in Boston, he represents a change for an organization that has struggled to lure big-name free agents in the past.
Boston continues to hold a ridiculous amount of trade assets, and will enter next offseason with max cap room for another marquee free agent. With Horford giving his seal of approval to Danny Ainge, Brad Stevens and the entire organization, other free agents will take a closer look. Boston’s future continues to glow brighter.
Best Move They Didn’t Make: Trading for Jimmy Butler
Throughout the week of the draft, the Boston Celtics were linked to Jimmy Butler and the Chicago Bulls. It’s unknown how serious those talks became, or whether the asking price from the Bulls was truly unpalatable.
But the chance for Jimmy Butler to set up on the wing for this Boston team is mind-boggling. Assuming either Avery Bradley or Jae Crowder would have stayed on the Celtics, along with Butler they would have formed an impenetrable defensive wall on the wing.
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Butler’s offensive playmaking would have opened things up for Isaiah Thomas not to carry the entire team on his back. With Al Horford able to score down low and beyond the arc, opposing defenses would lose their ability to focus in on stopping Thomas.
A closing lineup of Thomas, Butler, Horford, and two of the Smart/Bradley/Crowder trio would be nigh-impossible to score on, and possess above-average offensive potency. The sets Stevens could run with that group would be marvelous to behold.
Butler is most likely off the table for now, but if Chicago starts off slowly and the playoffs slip out of reach, the Bulls may decide to cash in the asset and fully ignite their rebuild. The addition of Dwyane Wade makes that unlikely, but eventually Chicago will have to face the glaring weaknesses of their current roster.
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There are other moves Boston wanted to make and didn’t, including signing Kevin Durant or trading immediately for Russell Westbrook (a move still very much in play down the road). But overall they add Al Horford and a collection of draft talent to a roster that was already trending upwards.