5 reasons the Boston Celtics will be worse next season

4. The frontcourt is still missing a defensive piece

Marcus Morris and Aron Baynes were decent additions, but Morris is dealing with legal issues, and Baynes is not a major impact player. Both are defense-first players, but only Baynes fits the rim protecting role that the Celtics need.

The Celtics cannot assume Horford is enough to anchor the defense, and adding players to provide help for their star center was a necessity this offseason. They could have gone in a different direction than signing Hayward, and instead spent that money on a rim-protecting, rebounding power forward.

The Celtics needed frontcourt defense, but Hayward severely limited their financial capabilities, even requiring them to toss away Avery Bradley for arguable scraps. Bradley, in every facet of the game, is a more impactful player than Marcus Morris, but for what it’s worth, Morris will help them in their new ventures.

Boston added size, but the skill is going to be suspect on the offensive end. Neither Morris nor Baynes can carry their own weight on the offensive side of the ball consistently, and the Celtics’ success is banking on Horford, Hayward and Thomas meshing well enough to create a scoring dynamic that affects the whole team.

The frontcourt has gotten better defensively, but the team is still going to take time to get used to playing with each other. If the Celtics are forced to rely on Morris and Baynes for offense each night, it is going to be a long season.