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Moving Forward: Was The Boston Celtics’ Playoff Berth Worth It?

By Eric Laboissonniere

Apr 3, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens watches from the sideline as they take on the Milwaukee Bucks in the second half at TD Garden. The Bucks defeated the Celtics 110 to 101. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 3, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens watches from the sideline as they take on the Milwaukee Bucks in the second half at TD Garden. The Bucks defeated the Celtics 110 to 101. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /
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At the beginning of last season, nobody believed the Boston Celtics had the talent to make the NBA playoffs, but many doubters were turned into believers.

The Celtics traded away some of their best players and draft picks midseason for future picks, and a few decent role players last year. The team ended up with big-time scorer Isaiah Thomas and workhorse Jae Crowder, who played a crucial part the pushing the Celtics to the playoffs.

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The team also received a little help from an unhealthy Miami Heat team, and a Indiana Pacers team without Paul George. The Celtics got a lot out of rookie point guard Marcus Smart, who showed how he can be dominant on the defensive end, and a guy with a great motor on the offensive end.

The Celtics obviously ended up getting blown out by LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games, which makes one think: was it worth it to fight for a playoff spot and not a high lottery pick?

Analysis

The Celtics have a great group of solid role players, with each player being good at one thing or another. But the team lacks a superstar, and it’s hard to make any noise in the postseason without a superstar.

The Celts are banking on a free agent like Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge, Jimmy Butler, or Marc Gasol to find a permanent home in Boston, but frankly, it’s not that appealing right now for many of these free agents. Coach Brad Stevens is the most appealing thing about Boston right now, and the fact that the city has the most championships of all time, but other than that, there is not much that is going to attract these free agents to Boston.

Those free agents are going to look at places like Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami, and New York because each of those places have proven players with playoff experience and each roster has a star or two on the team.

If the Celtics do not attract a free agent this offseason, they’ll definitely try and trade for some big names, but other than picks, the Celtics do not have that much to offer. Smart is their best asset right now, and it is not even close. The reason he is such a good asset is because he had a terrific rookie season, but many believe he still has not reached his potential.

General manager Danny Ainge made it pretty clear on draft night that anyone was up for grabs, including Smart and many draft picks. The Celtics offered six draft picks for Charlotte’s No. 9 pick because they really wanted Justise Winslow, but the Hornets did not budge.

Ainge is trying to get creative because he knows that Boston is not as appealing a landing spot as it used to be, which is why the playoff appearance was probably not worth it. Yes, many of the players on the team did get their first real crack at the NBA playoffs, but how many of those players will stick around for the next time the Celtics make the playoffs?

The Celtics have been drafting the late-lottery for the past couple years, and even at the No. 6 pick, which is where the Celtics landed Smart in the 2014 NBA Draft, it is very hard to find a centerpiece to a franchise. The likelihood of landing a superstar past the top 10 is not high. Everyone who drafts in the late lottery or late first round is looking for the next Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, or Klay Thompson (who were all taken outside the top 10), but the chances are not high.

The bottom line is simple for the Celtics; mediocrity can be entertaining, especially when you have such a fun team to watch, but mediocrity will never win a championship or advance far in the playoffs no matter who is coaching and no matter how bad the Eastern Conference is.

Ainge is going to work very hard to give coach Stevens a team that can compete in the playoffs, and all Ainge needs is one big free agent like Love that will attract other players to come. But if that does not work, then the Celtics need to stop shooting for mediocrity and draft Ben Simmons or Skal Labissiere in next season’s NBA draft, because those players are franchise-changing prospects like Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, and Jahlil Okafor.

Yes, the Celtics will need to get lucky in the lottery and earn a top three pick, but that is what will need to be done if the Celtics really want to have the franchise head in the right direction.

Boston needs to patient before they can start thinking about hoisting up championship No. 18.

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