Hot Takes on Celtics' Roster and 2024 Title Hopes Ahead of NBA Season
The Boston Celtics seemingly have everything they need to win an NBA title.
Of course, that's basically been true for the better part of a decade now, and yet this franchise is still searching for its first championship since 2008.
Will this offseason's adjustments—most notably the addition of Kristaps Porziņģis and subtractions of Marcus Smart and Grant Williams—be enough to get this group over the line? Or are more postseason disappointments in store?
We'll examine that topic and more through a trio of hot takes.
Dalano Banton Can Give This Team More Than Payton Pritchard
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With Smart out of the backcourt mix, the rotation opening that Payton Pritchard has long waited for is finally here.
However, Boston might soon discover he just doesn't bring enough to the hardwood to make him a nightly regular. Look across the league, and you won't spot many 6'1" shooting specialists on rosters, let alone in the rotations of contending teams.
He'll be targeted on defense, and therefore he must make his offense so razor-sharp that the Shamrocks feel like they have no choice but to keep him out there. But since he isn't much of an offensive organizer or inside-the-arc scorer, his skill set doesn't really stretch beyond good-to-great outside shooting.
That's why Boston should seriously consider giving whatever minutes would've been available to Pritchard to newcomer Dalano Banton instead.
The 23-year-old isn't a perfect player by any means, but he can make two-way contributions as a 6'9" head of the snake on defense and a jumbo-sized distributor on offense.
An Aggressive Derrick White Can Be a Top-10 Point Guard
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Through this point of his six-year career, Derrick White has done a masterful job of picking his spots and molding his game however his team needed.
His job description is different without Smart, though. Now, he could wind up operating as Boston's primary playmaker while also looking for his own shot and setting the tone defensively.
It's a long to-do list, but it could also be the nudge that helps the 29-year-old keep the pedal floored. His willingness to play a role has sometimes limited his assertiveness. If he adheres to the green light the Shamrocks are giving him, he has the skills needed to make the jump from reliable role player to top-10 starter at his position.
Last season, there were eight games in which White attempted at least 17 shots. In those contests, he averaged 25.5 points on 47.7 percent shooting and 7.8 assists. He can summon similar production much more often if he plays with more assertiveness.
The Celtics Won't Win a Title with This Group
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Doubting this Celtics squad requires a certain degree of nitpicking.
On paper, Boston looks loaded once again. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown comprise one of the best two-man tandems in basketball. A healthy Kristaps Porziņģis is as good of a third option as you'll find. Derrick White could be in line for a sizable leap. Robert Williams III is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate if he ever stays healthy.
But our crystal ball still can't see a championship coming together with his core.
For a team that has often blundered some of its biggest offensive possessions, there is real risk in moving on from its primary playmaker without bring in a replacement. This frontcourt combo of Porziņģis, Williams and Al Horford raises red flags for injury issues and potential age-related decline. Who knows if Brown's handle has improved since his turnover-filled disaster in Game 7?
Tack on all the other teams potentially standing between the Celtics and a championship, and it's just hard to imagine this will be the season in which everything comes together. And if it doesn't happen now, how many more cracks at it will the organization give this nucleus?
If Boston falls short of its championship goal, anyone not named Tatum could wind up in the rumor mill next summer.
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