The season is off to a fantastic start for the Boston Celtics. With a 16-5 record, the Celtics lead the Milwaukee Bucks by one and a half games in the Eastern Conference. Still, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that there are worries the Celtics might not have enough depth.
In an appearance on FanDuel’s Run It Back, Charania predicted that as the deadline for trades in February draws closer, the Celtics would be active in the market. Charania states that the C’s aim is to “beef up” their bench rotation.
Boston defeated New York by ten points on Friday to avenge their quarterfinal loss to the Indiana Pacers in the In-season tournament. With 11 straight victories, the Celtics lead the league in scoring margin (+8.3).
A major factor in Boston’s success is their dominance at TD Gardens. The Celtics are 10-0 this season at home with an incredible +16.8 scoring margin, and they have the fourth-best home record in the Association since 2019–20.
In terms of both offensive and defensive efficiency, Boston is the only team in the league that is ranked in the top 10. The Celtics are fourth in the league in terms of scoring defense (108.8 points) and seventh in terms of scoring (117.3 points per game). The C’s, who have a penchant for 3-pointers, are a fantastic shooting team that ranks in the top 4 of the league in both true shooting percentage and EFG%.
Boston plays great transition defense and stops opponents from getting second chances. The Celtics are also good at defending the paint.
C’s Desire List
There are worries. The Celtics struggle to share the ball, get to the free-throw line, and score many points in the paint.
Boston is also very high in the top. Six excellent veterans make up the Celtics, and 68.6% of their 117.3 points come from Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis. Approximately 81% of their team’s points come from their starters. 78.7% of their assists and 68.2% of their rebounds.
Off the bench, Al Horford and Sam Hauser have excelled. Although Peyton Pritchard has been having some good moments lately, his field goal percentage is under 40% and his three-point percentage is only 31%. Luke Kornet, meantime, is just Luke Kornet. In other words, he can play center for ten to fifteen minutes and not hurt the team because he is a good rebounder. Kornet may lose his position as the C’s starting center backup to Neemias Queta. He has only participated in three games so far, though.
The Celtics are really just eight players deep. The biggest need for the Celtics is a guard who can play as a true reserve point or someone who can light it up off the bench. The C’s could also use a big man who can score frequently and defend, especially in the event that Horford or Porzingis are hurt. Only three times in his career has Porzingis participated in 65 games, and he has already missed five.
Boston could use another combo forward or a veteran wing, even if there were no concerns about injuries.
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