Grading the 2019 NBA offseason for all 30 franchises

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics seemed to have wrapped their heads around the idea of Kyrie Irving playing elsewhere next season.

For as talented a player as he may be, the six-time All-Star’s leadership abilities came into question all year long, throwing off the chemistry of a group that failed to live up to expectations.

Most had assumed Boston would push on forward down a different path headlined by its two young studs in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Instead, the Cs rebounded better than most ever could when losing a talent like Irving, pivoting to sign his contemporary in Kemba Walker.

The debate of Kyrie vs. Kemba could go on forever, but the latter possesses a significant edge in the intangibles department. Having led Charlotte with little drama for the better part of his entire career, expect Walker to mesh far better with Boston’s roster than Irving ever did.

Whereas Irving’s departure — along with backup Terry Rozier — seemed imminent, Al Horford‘s came as a shock. It looked as though he would opt out of his deal only to re-sign in Boston until negotiations fell through enough for him to look elsewhere and ultimately leave.

Walker may be an approximation of Kyrie that will keep the Celtics afloat, but there’s no replacing what Horford brings at both ends.

Enes Kanter was a solid signing to help fill that void along with the low-risk addition of 7’7” Tacko Fall, but the fate of Boston’s future now rests largely in the hands of the youngsters who are expected to leap forward with their production next season.

Grade: B+