3 ways Boston Celtics improved their roster without gutting nucleus
Boston Celtics #3: Signing Danilo Gallinari and Luke Kornet
In case anyone doesn’t read Twitter or online papers, Danilo Gallinari made it very clear that he joined the Boston Celtics to win a championship. Meanwhile, the Luke Kornet story? That’s mostly Brad Stevens saying he believes Kornet can be a helpful addition in terms of having a bigger presence on the court.
Danilo Gallinari says that winning a championship is "a constant, constant thought that I have every day."
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) July 12, 2022
He adds that after joining the Celtics, "It’s that time for me."
Brad Stevens said the Celtics are “really high” on Luke Kornet and think he can step right into minutes and “help us win” when necessary. Said they will still likely add another center.
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) July 12, 2022
Given that Boston is struggling with the cap right now and eventual decisions are coming down the line regarding how they will pay their players, it’s better to take advantage of the current situation and make the most of it. That means adding Gallinari and Kornet were the right moves for this team.
Last season, Gallinari averaged 11.7 points and 4.7 rebounds. He shot 43.4% from the field, 38.1% from 3-point territory, and hit 90.4% of his free throws. That’s good in terms of scoring, and despite his limited defensive efficiency, he will likely be needed as a scorer when the game gets tight. The lack of scoring in critical situations was evident for Boston against Golden State’s Hall of Famers.
In the case of Kornet, it’s also a minimal deal. Additionally, it’s a low-risk, right-reward kind of situation. Last year, Kornet shot 48.1% from the field and hit 66.7% of his free throws. But are those numbers so low? Maybe, but realistically speaking, he’s being added as a more significant body to help strengthen the Celtics’ defense. There is still more work to be done, but given what Boston did, as highlighted by our next offseason move, they needed someone with experience.
Speaking of that next off-season move, here it is. A move that sounded big on paper given the quantity but wasn’t necessarily as blockbuster as many people made it out to be.