Boston Celtics: 3 burning questions the Celtics must answer in 2021-22

Boston Celtics burning questions: 3. Is the wing depth good enough?

The Celtics’ starting wings are up there with the very best in the league. Tatum is a legitimate MVP candidate thanks to his premier shot creation and shooting abilities, as well as his capacity to defend at a high level.

Brown, meanwhile, has come a long way since he entered the league. He averaged 24.7 points per game last year, was very nearly a 40 per cent three-point shooter, and, like Tatum, has established himself as a tenacious defender during his time in the NBA.

The problems arise when one, or both, of these All-Star calibre players are unavailable for selection. Brown managed just 58 games last season as he struggled with a wrist injury, while Tatum played in just 64 in a year which saw him heavily impacted heavily by COVID-19.

Boston rely enormously on Brown and Tatum for offense. Too often last season did the Celtics opt to let either of the duo create their own shot instead of moving the ball for a better shot. The problems run deeper than just needing greater depth on the wing when either steps out of the game or misses time through injury, but not having quality wings to back them up last year proved costly.

The Celtics simply did not have the bench quality at the wing spots to properly compete. Last year’s main options off the bench, or to start when Tatum and Brown were unavailable, included Romeo Langford, Aaron Nesmith, Grant Williams, Jabari Parker and Semi Ojeleye.

Langford has struggled with injury as an NBA player and missed most of last year, but has flashed potential as a two-way prospect when healthy. Nesmith, in his rookie year, made some strides forward and can contribute as a shooter but still has a long way to go as an offensive creator.

The rest, meanwhile, have carved out careers as steady, if unspectacular, NBA players. There is not exactly much wrong with these players, but they just did not contribute enough collectively as a bench unit to put the team in a strong position.

The good news is that the Celtics have tried to address the lack of adequate wing depth on the roster with the addition of Josh Richardson, who has arrived off the back of a dismal spell at the Dallas Mavericks in the hope that he can provide high level defense and improve as a shooter.

But the wing options remain largely the same as last season. Nesmith and Langford are young enough to suggest there is improvement coming, if the latter can stay healthy, but the likes of Parker and Williams have to show they can contribute effectively when called upon if the Celtics are to challenge at the highest level.