The Boston Celtics have some room for improvement, and a particular free agent could help them instantly.
The Boston Celtics, although among the league’s top teams, still have some work to do to solidify their roster.
With the NBA season’s continuation in doubt, too, some people have begun looking into free agency, including who could be smart pickups for their team once the signing period begins.
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With that mindset, that begs the question: What do the Celtics need?
Well, the answer to that is quite simple. Boston needs frontcourt help and bench help more than anything else. They have arguably the best starting five in the association, but the one area where they lack is from the seventh-tenth man.
To be fair, not many teams get around to using 10-man rotations, but it is important to keep options open, especially given the myriad of injuries that have plagued the Boston Celtics over the course of the season.
Still, there is one individual that could see playing time immediately on the team, and could even challenge Daniel Theis for the starting spot (Sorry, Celtics fans, that means it isn’t Isaiah Thomas).
The one player I’m referencing is Tristan Thompson of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Tristan Thompson is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, meaning he can go wherever he wants without the Cavs being able to match an offer.
After being drafted fourth overall, it is safe to say he hasn’t lived up to the huge expectations that were given to him heading into his rookie year. However, he has been a very reliable player for the Cavs, especially this season.
He has been relatively healthy, as far as centers go. For four straight years starting in his sophomore season, he played all 82 games. That number has dipped as he has gotten older, but he can still be counted on to suit up in a majority of games.
Before this season was postponed, Thompson was averaging a respectable 12 points and 10 rebounds per game.
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On top of that, he chipped in with just under a block per game while only committing 2.2 fouls a night. That means he has shown the ability to defend without getting into foul trouble.
He would easily solve the Boston Celtics’ rebounding woes, as his current average would rank him first on the team. He is also taller than most of the centers rostered on the team, so he would give the C’s an interior presence.
In what has been a new addition to his game, he is shooting just about 40 percent from the three, albeit only taking a meager .4 attempts per game.
He also has been called out by former Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce to join the squad, which goes to show how much he could really help this current Celtics team.
With Andre Drummond now in the mix in Cleveland, the team may have the desire to move on from Thompson, and pursue a slightly better center to fit their needs.
The opportunity is there for Thompson if he wants it, but only time will tell if that’s the best fit for him going forward.