The center position has been an area to build on for the Boston Celtics in recent years, but finding a fit this offseason is not a must.
The Boston Celtics have had a tremendous amount of talent at the five-spot throughout their storied history. From the legendary Bill Russell to other Hall of Famers such as Dave Cowens, it’s been a strong point over many decades. Recently, however, it’s been a spot that’s left much to be desired.
On a team full of guard and wing talent, a dominant big man is something that the Celtics have been missing, and it’s a position where they have been linked with regards to strengthening over recent times. This offseason though, a new center is not a must for the Celtics.
Although the Celtics don’t have a center that is currently in the running to be an All-Star, they have a lot of depth. Daniel Theis and Enes Kanter were the two guys rotating at the five-spot for the majority of the season, and they produced good numbers as usual. Theis averaged 9.2 points and 6.6 points per game, as he established himself as an important pillar of an elite Celtics defense.
Kanter, whose box score numbers are usually impressive, averaged 8.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in more than five minutes per game less than Theis. Kanter’s defensive presence always leaves the Celtics weak on the interior, and this is where they need to be better.
You then have Robert Williams III and Tacko Fall. Now, the latter of the two has shown strides and remains an asset for this team. But, where the solution lies is with Williams. What the Celtics need at this spot is rim protection, as well as a strong defense. Williams, in his second season in the league, showed he has a lot of potential to be great at these things.
He averaged 13.4 minutes per game on the year, playing important minutes on a team that got to the conference finals down in Orlando. His per 36-minute statistics over the 13-game playoff stretch this year had him averaging 12.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks over that time on the floor. He also shot 74.2 percent from the floor in the playoffs, becoming dominant in that Celtics pick-and-roll, and establishing a nice jumper too.
The Celtics will most likely look at what’s available for them at center this offseason, with Kanter potentially opting out of his player deal, but they have the player they need and he’s right there. Williams has just turned 23 years old and he’s a player who’ll only get better when he gets his minutes – this has become evident towards the tail end of this season.
He’s a player who can play in those crunch-time minutes, and perform on both ends. He has that rim protection skillset to become one of the best in the business. They need another established five, and that’s why you have Theis too, who has a base salary of $5 million for the 2020-21 season, which is pretty much a steal when you consider what he brings to the table in his defense and understanding of the offense.
A team as big as the Boston Celtics will always be linked with a move for a high-end big man when they don’t already have one. But, when you have players like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown who you’re going to have to give that money to, you can’t go chucking money away. Just over $7 million next year for Theis and Williams seems like a pretty good deal if you’re the Celtics.
Strengthen in other areas, such as shooting, use that money to cover bases that you don’t already have covered, and let Williams go to work next year.