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Boston Celtics: The C’s Are In Need Of Scoring Wings

By Eric Laboissonniere

Apr 12, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder (99) returns the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 12, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder (99) returns the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Boston Celtics made quite a few moves this offseason to help add depth to their roster. The team added a couple more guards and frontcourt players while only losing players like Brandon Bass and Phil Pressey. Despite losing those two players, the Celtics seem to have a formidable roster to compete with almost every team in the Eastern Conference, but the team is lacking offensive wings and just depth in general on the wings.

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Jae Crowder, Jonas Jerebko, and possibly Perry Jones III will make up the wings for the Celtics. Obviously the team could use some other players on the wings like James Young, Jared Sullinger, or Evan Turner, but Young is more of two-guard, Sullinger is more of a frontcourt player, and Turner is more of ball-handler. This is why the Celtics are in need of more wings, especially wings that can score the basketball.

The team cannot add any more players to their loaded roster, but the team could get rid of some of their backcourt and frontcourt to try and snag scoring wings later on in the season. They will probably not make a move before the season starts, but the team will need wings that can score the basketball and shoot well from deep.

Analysis of current Celtics’ wings

Crowder is going to get the most minutes as on the wing for the Celtics next season because of his athleticism, defensive skill, and work-hard mentality. During his time in Boston last season, Crowder played 57 games, started 17 games, and averaged 9.5 PPG and 4.6 RPG. Crowder became a vital player for the Celtics after he was traded from the Dallas Mavericks, but he struggled to shoot the basketball, especially from distance. This is where Jerebko comes in, who is an above average three-point shooter.

Jerebko played most of his games for the Detroit Pistons last season, but he certainly thrived for the Celtics off the bench. He averaged 7.1 PPG and he shot 40.6 percent from deep, which is pretty impressive. He is not very good on the defensive end and he cannot create his own shot very well, but he can knock down the long-ball, which is something the Celtics need.

Overall

Both Jerebko and Crowder are going to play the most meaningful minutes on the wing for the Celtics, while Jones, Sullinger, and Turner might also spend some times on the wings. Even though the team seems to have wings that can get the job done on both ends of the floor, the team still needs to find or develop a player that can be a huge offensive weapon on the wing. Someone like Young or even R.J. Hunter might be able to be the answer, but they will need time to develop their game, and Hunter will need to put on more size.

The Celtics added players in the frontcourt and the backcourt this offseason, but the team still needs to add more offensive wing depth because the current wing players are very one-dimensional. Although someone like Crowder could bounce back from his injury in last season’s playoff series with a chip on his shoulder and have a big season on the offensive end.

As of right now, the Celtics need Jerebko and Crowder to play at an extremely high level next season, or the team needs to find some new wings that can help out on the offensive end.

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