Have the Boston Celtics actually gotten worse?
When the Boston Celtics traded for Kristaps Porzingis, it felt like the team was taking a leap forward. It may have cost them Marcus Smart, but the Celtics' depth at the guard position was deep enough to sustain the loss. Moving on from Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala was also inconsequential in terms of impactful depth.
During free agency, the Celtics have added Oshae Brissett and Dalano Banton, two players with great length. However, neither free agency addition are known as offensive weapons and often struggle from the floor. Jordan Walsh, the rookie Boston drafted out of Arkansas, is also a lengthy wing with questions surrounding his shooting ability.
Now, with Grant Williams being traded to the Dallas Mavericks, the Celtics seem to have made an overcorrection. At the end of last season, multiple members of Boston's rotation noted how they wanted to go back to being a defensive team. When Boston made the NBA Finals in 2022, the rotation was full of two-way players. If you're playing for a contending team, you've got to be impactful on both sides of the floor.
Brissett and Banton failed to secure meaningful minutes at their previous stops. Walsh will need time to acclimate to the NBA. That leaves Porzingis as the one impactful addition this summer. It also means two of the Celtics' best defenders have left the franchise, with very little being added to replace them.
With their moves so far, the Celtics have gotten worse this summer. Boston has lost two of its best defenders, one of whom was also among their best floor spacers. In return, the Celtics have an additional star and three unproven project players. Top-heavy roster construction has struggled in recent years as teams focus on depth rather than a 'big three.'
We're still early into the summer months, and a lot can change. But as things stand, the Celtics bench doesn't project to be as deep or as talented. Yet, maybe their depth was part of the problem. Maybe Joe Mazzulla had too many mouths to feed. Perhaps by moving on from some of the bigger voices in the locker room, the Celtics can become more aligned.
Only time will tell. For now, Celtics fans will likely be more confused today than they were at the start of free agency.
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