NBA Free Agency: 3 best landing spots for Victor Oladipo
By Zamir Bueno
Destinations for Victor Oladipo in NBA free agency: 2. Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics were 11th in pick and roll possessions, averaging 21.3 per game. They shot 42 percent from the field on 17.3 attempts per game. The field goal percentage helped them create 19.8 points per game out of the pick and roll.
However, most of the pick-and-roll production came from Kemba Walker. Walker led the team in the category as he accounted for 42.2 percent of the team’s pick and roll possessions, averaging 9 per game. He shot 39 percent from the field on 7.7 shots per game.
The field goal percentage allowed him to average 8.3 points per game in the pick and roll: 41.9 percent of the team’s total production. Unfortunately, Walker was traded on June 18th to the OKC Thunder along with the 16th overall pick and a 2025 second-round selection for Al Horford, Moses Brown, and a 2023 second-round pick.
Consequently, the Boston Celtics need to find a player this offseason that can replace some of Walker’s pick and roll production. Unfortunately, they have limited resources as they are scheduled to be $16.2 million over the cap, which prohibits them from signing free agents outright.
Therefore, they need to find a pick and roll ball handler who will accept the mid-level exception. Oladipo would be a prime candidate to take the mid-level exception because he isn’t expected to return to the court, at least until early December.