Kyrie Irving and Al Horford out, Kemba Walker and Enes Kanter in, in what direction are the Boston Celtics heading in 2019.
Draft Analysis:
Romeo Langford: Langford was the fifth overall recruit in 2018, and was supposed to bring University of Indiana back to its high pedigree in college basketball. Well, he didn't do that. He dealt with a lot of injuries, and when he was on the court was not spectacular. He is very talented though. I would say a best case scenario is him turning into a player like Demar Derozan. He is a project player, and might've been drafted a little too high. B-
Grant Williams: Williams was a college star with Tennessee. The problem is many of the things that made him great in college will be ineffective in the pros. He is big, but lacking a post up game, and also not very athletic. He is a great defender though, and can guard anyone. He also plays his heart out pretty much every single game. Best case scenario is a lesser Draymond Green. B+
Carson Edwards: I think that the Celtics got a great steal in Edwards. He reminds me a little of Kemba Walker, because of his play in the NCAA Tournament. Edwards broke the Tournament three point record in just four games, led Purdue over the defending champions in Villanova, and despite falling to eventual champion Virginia in the quarterfinals, Edwards put up 42 points with ten threes. He's very athletic, and will offer some immediate scoring off the bench for the Celtics, and could end up being a starter in a few years. A-
Tremont Waters: At just 5'11'', 172 lbs, there are concerns the Waters small frame will lead to him not sticking in the NBA, which is why he fell deep in the draft. He is quick though, and a strong ball handler. A lot of uncertainty here. C
Kemba Walker & Enes Kanter:
Now I'm not going to say that Kemba Walker has the skill set of Kyrie Irving, but does that even matter? Boston went to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2018 without Irving and Gordon Hayward because they had fight. Kemba Walker has fight, there has never been a question about that.
Personally, I love Enes Kanter. He averaged more points and rebounds than Al Horford last year, and I know his defense is weak, but he does not need to play when they are protecting leads. The Celtics have a lot of really strong defenders as well. And him mocking Kyrie about wearing number 11 was precious (If you haven't seen this video look it up, it is worth it!)
Kyrie Irving & Al Horford:
Fact is, Kyrie never fit in Boston. The whole reason he wanted out of Cleveland was because he wanted to be the main guy (Funny thought: If he had stayed with the Cavs he would have been the main guy because Lebron ended up leaving). Anyway, he wasn't the only guy on Boston who could play. In my opinion Jayson Tatum still has potential to be a top ten NBA player. Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, Marcus Smart, these guys want their time to shine. Now they have their chance, let's see what they've got.
Al Horford has got to be one of the most over rated players in the NBA. And I am not just saying this now that he has left. I have argued this point for years. His nickname of "Average Al" perfectly fits him. Lat year he averaged 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds. Those numbers ranked him 84th and 45th respectively. Now tell me why everyone thinks he is so great? Philadelphia can have him. He is certainly not going to replace Jimmy Butler.
Fact is, Kyrie never fit in Boston. The whole reason he wanted out of Cleveland was because he wanted to be the main guy (Funny thought: If he had stayed with the Cavs he would have been the main guy because Lebron ended up leaving). Anyway, he wasn't the only guy on Boston who could play. In my opinion Jayson Tatum still has potential to be a top ten NBA player. Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, Marcus Smart, these guys want their time to shine. Now they have their chance, let's see what they've got.
2018 Reveiw:
I am not going to lie and say that I always though Kyrie in Boston was a bad fit. When I first heard of the trade bringing him to the Celtics I was ecstatic. Honestly, I still think that it was a good move. I love Isaiah Thomas as a person and as a fighter, but he has lost his game. It was predictable too, as he was hobbled by injury. The Celts also sent Jae Crowder (who has been replaced by Gordon Hayward), Ante Zizic, and the Nets first round pick in 2018. That pick ended up being the eighth overall selection in which the Cavs took point guard Colin Sexton.
The 2018 run to the Eastern Conference Finals really ruined everything for the 2019 Celtics. The 2018 playoffs team without Irving or Hayward had heart, they had fight, and they had the city of Boston behind them. There were no expectations. And yet that team continued to win. After they eventually lost in game seven to Cleveland, the reaction from fans was not disappointment, but rather optimism. The common phrase was: "Yeah, and next year we'll have Kyrie and Gordon."
But with Kyrie and Gordon in 2019 those same Celtics had lost their fight. They lost the chip on their shoulder. They expected to win, but they did not do whatever it took to win. It was clear that Hayward was not the player he was before his season ending injury in 2018. It was also clear that Kyrie cared about himself and himself only. Jaylen Brown, Terry Rozier, Jayson Tatum deserved the right for quality minutes, and yet the two additions into the lineup were diminishing those minutes. There were beefs. Famously, Kyrie chewed out Hayward after he didn't get Irving the ball for the final shot. Boston did not like it. Boston did not like him.
The team chemistry was completely gone. It looked like five separate players on the court, not a team. They breezed by the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs, and then gave everyone in Boston hope by winning game one against the Milwaukee Bucks. They promptly got swept in the next four games.
2019 Predictions
Atlantic Division: 2nd
Eastern Conference: 3rd
If the Celtics are able to find that perfect balance between Walker, Tatum, Brown, and Hayward, then they are a very real threat to make the NBA Finals.
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