The Boston Celtics came out of a competitive Eastern Conference to reach the NBA Finals this year, with a young but at the same time experience core, led by Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart and with the returns of Al Horford and Daniel Theis solidifying their frontcourt.
The Celtics were favored to win the Finals over the Warriors after beating them in Game 1 but they fell short. That said, the odds they were given reflect how many perceive that the Celtics are title contenders for years to come
Heading into the offseason all teams need to regroup and adjust, even the Warriors. The Celtics have to tinker and retool around their core to make sure they can run it back, reach the NBA Finals and win them. Read on for what they have to do.
Marcus Smart is the Celtics’ heart and soul on the court, he has infectious energy and his tenacity is why he’s the best defender in the league, validated by his Defensive Player of the Year award this year but that hustle and energy can also be a double-edged sword and he can reckless sometimes. It’s safe to say that turnovers plagued the Celtics against the Warriors and they clearly need someone who can be a playmaker and not turn the ball over often.
The C’s tried to address this issue in recent years, first with Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker but both moves didn’t work out so well and then with the Derrick White trade this season. While White had his moments, he is a scorer more than a distributor.
This issue is not just Smart’s fault. Jayson Tatum (4.2) and Jaylen Brown (3.1) averaged more turnovers per game than Smart did (2.5) but this proves that the Celtics need someone who can run the offense effectively, especially against teams like the Warriors who thrive on the mistakes of their opponents.
The Celtics recklessly gave away at least two NBA Finals games because of their own unforced errors. Of course, Smart, Tatum and Brown have to cut down on their turnovers but adding an efficient ball-handler to run the offense would do wonders for them and take some pressure off their Big Three.
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