Are The Boston Celtics Finally Done With Rebuilding?

The city of Boston may finally be able to rejoice, as it seems its basketball team may be done living in the cellar of the Eastern Conference.

More from Boston Celtics

That’s right, the Boston Celtics are beginning to make moves to acquire accomplished talent, signaling the end of the rebuilding stage for one of the most storied franchises in NBA history.

As reported at yesterday’s trade deadline by multiple league sources and media outlets, the Celtics acquired point guard Isaiah Thomas from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Marcus Thornton and the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ 2016 first-round draft pick. The team also got its hands on forwards Jonas Jerebko and Luigi Datome from the Detroit Pistons for the price of one Tayshaun Prince, who gets to return to the team he once won a title with.

I must say that Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge did a fantastic job putting these deals together and pulling the trigger on trades that not only shed the team of unwanted money and players (Prince and Thornton), but also brought back a player that if used correctly, could really be a great find in Thomas.

Thomas is a guard that has legitimate star upside as showcased by his play with the Suns and Sacramento Kings. There are few guards quicker than Thomas, as he is a blur both up and down the court and in between defenders in the half court.

For a point guard his size, Thomas has great court vision and really knows how to operate the drive-and-kick game, something that has been a staple of the best offenses in the league over the years. Thomas’ ability to penetrate the defense and get to spots in which he can dish the ball back out to perimeter players for open shots is key to any kind of NBA offense, as this kind of play initiates ball movement and can even lead to quick scoring opportunities if all players fill their lanes correctly in transition.

Apart from his passing, Thomas also finishes a high percentage of his shots at the rim, and can really shoot the lights out of the ball at times. Even though is scoring is down some this season, his 15.2 points per game will still be a welcome addition to a backcourt that has been looking for a little more of a scoring punch, as the frontcourt players have led the team in scoring more times than the guards have.

As for Jerebko and Datome, both are stretch power forwards that can hit perimeter shots and drag their man out from underneath the basket in order to give the rest of the team more room to get into the lane and crash the offensive glass. Being able to spread the floor and play the four-around-one game has been another important part of playing offense in the league today, even if it’s only apart of the second unit’s game plan.

Having the parts necessary to mix things up on offense can really be key to a team’s success down the stretch in games, especially in the postseason as coaches hone in on specific trends so that the team can plan around them. That’s why stretch forwards such as Jerebko and Datome have become so important in basketball today.

So where do these moves leave the Celtics after the trade deadline? Well things certainly get interesting in the backcourt, as head coach Brad Stevens now has a unique three-guard rotation to work with in Thomas, Avery Bradley and rookie Marcus Smart.

Stevens could even play all three of them together and have Smart operate at the small forward spot like Tony Allen has done for the Memphis Grizzlies at times over the past few seasons. Seeing who plays well together and who doesn’t is going to be a big part of Stevens’ evaluations over the rest of the season and could lead to even more potential moves this coming offseason.

Regardless, the Celtics seem to be heading in the right direction as far as bringing this team back to relevancy. These moves, along with the fact that the Celtics hung on to all of the team’s most key pieces mean that they will be looking to move into the playoff picture this season, as the team is finally done tanking for higher position in the lottery. Boston has a lot of young talent, meaning that the majority of their draft picks and future assets will begin to be moved by Ainge for more established talent.

Welcome to the playoff race Celtics, glad to have you back.

*Statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference.

Next: Why the Celtics Are The Next Up-and-Coming Team?

More from Hoops Habit

Home/Boston Celtics

Are The Boston Celtics Done Tanking?

By Nathan Grubel | Feb 20, 2015

More from Hoops Habit