What now for the Celtics?
The Boston Celtics are currently undergoing a massive transition, a phase that Boston fans will not enjoy despite the fact that it makes sense in a lot of ways.
Of course the biggest talking point of the summer for the franchise is the devastating loss of Jason Terry…. Also they gave up veterans Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. The Truth leaving the club wasn’t just a signal that the club was looking to rejuvenate an old franchise that was well past its expiration date for long playoff runs, he was an icon, a Boston staple, a man who until three months ago you’d of bet your mortgage on him retiring a one club guy.
The trade saw the trio head to the Brooklyn Nets (Kris Humphries and Gerald Wallace going the other way) who are looking to grow up quick with their new rookie coach and although it seems to be an exciting project in Brooklyn Pierce seemed far from happy in his press conference. The next day he took out a full page ad in the Boston Globe thanking the club and took to twitter to unload as many memories as he could. With the #THANKYOUBOSTON he posted at least 20 pictures of his time on court for the Celtics from his rookie year to the championship season. It truly was a fitting tribute on his end to how much he appreciated the 13 years fans and staff alike embraced him into the club.
But now it’s over, Doc’s gone, KG’s gone and Paul Pierce is gone, what now for the Celtics?
Danny Ainge may not have been very active in the free agency market over the summer looking for fresh faces to give the franchise a boost but he has made a bold and almost universally praised choice to replace Rivers as head coach.
36 year old Brad Stevens, a man who despite his young age has seen it all at the college level for Butler. We’ll all remember the fairy tale run to the Championship game four years ago that saw the young coach take on coach K in an amazing, unreal game that literally came down to the last shot. The heartbreak hit him again however when they lost in the final once again to the Huskies. Still for a college who’s basketball program had seen little success in such a long time it was undoubtedly a great spell for the school.
Numerous schools attempted to lure Stevens away with big money offers but he chose to sign for 10 years till 2022 committing his future to the Bulldogs. He chose however to jump ship, out of the college world where he is adored and respected by players, coaches and the NCAA to join the most successful NBA Franchise in history, a team with the highest expectations.
Not only has he now set himself the biggest challenge of his career but Boston have taken the biggest gamble in over a decade, deciding to bring in a young, up and coming coach untested in the pro game to usher in a new era.
So what does this new era look like right now? For a start the best player on the roster Rondo isn’t going to be back until at least Christmas and even then the club quite clearly doesn’t want him. Not to say they don’t want him there winning games but the Celtics were all in on this summer’s Tankapalooza and an ailing star who could’ve given Danny Ainge a vital piece in bringing in more draft picks.
Kelly Olynyk of Gonzaga was drafted 13th and traded over to the Celtics giving the fans a young player to watch develop over the coming season. The main core this year looks as if it is going to be players like Jeff Green, Wallace, Humphries, Sullinger, Bradley, and Brandon Bass which is a far cry from what that list boasted over the past 10 years. Boston may finish anywhere as low as 13th in the Eastern conference this year BUT if so then they have the potential for grabbing any one of the future all-stars hitting the draft board next year in what is supposedly the best class since 03’ (Wade, Lebron, ‘Melo.)
If so then with luck permitting Boston will have two first round picks next season as well as a guaranteed first rounder in the two seasons after that which could be used as trade collateral for a bumper 2014 trade for a new face of the franchise. Fans may only have to endure one season of regular losses in the TD Garden if Ainge and the rest of the upstairs team have played it right. Stevens may make the Pierce, Doc and KG era a distant memory but we’ll just have to wait to see how the cards fall over the coming season.