Saturday’s 106-104 victory over the Raptors was a great example of how deep this Celtics iteration runs.
Boston’s bench tops Toronto’s second unit 62-14Jayson Tatum and his team won their first public road win in three years without him. And when night fell, the visitor had lost his three starters. Still, the Celtics’ talent and depth allowed them to capitalize on a lineup featuring Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Malcolm Brogdon, Grant Williams and Peyton Pritchard to close out the game.
With Brown absent from Boston’s recent matchup against the Nets and Tatum on the inactive list with the Raptors, Joe Mazura will deploy the trio of Brogdon, Derrick White and Pritchard. rice field.
That’s a small sample size, but over five games and a total of 33 minutes, the combination generated an Offensive Rating of 112.3, limited opponents to 97 points per 100 possessions, and a Net Rating of 15.3, according to NBA.com. is producing
These numbers reflect the ability of each member of the trio to attack effectively on and off the ball, with Brogdon and White having wingspans of 6’10 and 6’7.5 respectively, with wingspans of 1 to Has defensive versatility to guard 3. Additionally, Pritchard is a tenacious on-ball defender, proving himself in the Celtics’ switch-heavy scheme, including in the playoff setting.
In Saturday’s win north of the border, Pritchard put the pressure on Pascal Siakam, who posted a game-high 29 points, and had a tough time limiting the two-time All-NBA forward to five points on four shots in the final frame. It was helpful.
The former Oregon Duck is valuable insurance behind his other backcourt mates. He has a rookie deal with his $5.96 million qualifying offer in favor of the team for the 2024-25 season. And he’s proven he can fill the rotation role that’s been called into question by Sam Hauser’s shooting slump.
Instead of reuniting with Jae Crowder, returning old friend Kelly Olynyk, or trading Nas Reed, Boston is betting on Pritchard in a move aimed at helping the Celtics survive the regular season. was able to
Regarding recent reports of Boston’s interest in signing Jacob Poeltl, that was somewhat true before Robert Williams’ return, but has since waned. It will, but it hasn’t happened.
As currently built, the Celtics project is set for 2023-24, considering re-signing Williams as a restricted free agent this summer and Danilo Gallinari winning a $6.8 million player option. $15 million to $20 million more than the luxury tax for the season.
Owners have consistently proven to be happy with their operating costs, but the potential to add to that figure is a potential deal for players under contract beyond the current campaign. Related.
For example, Crowder’s separation from the Suns stems from losing his starting spot to Cameron Johnson in his contract year. Coming into a season he has yet to join, Crowder sought the nearly three-year, nearly $30 million contract he signed when he brought his talents to Phoenix.
Given the Celtics’ long-term financial commitments and the need to re-sign with Williams in the summer, Crowder has the option of either renting at his own expense from Boston or looking for a new team in the offseason, a disappointing move. It is likely to be one of the deadline acquisitions.
There is a more compelling case for getting Olynyk. Now in his 10th season, the Gonzaga alum has achieved his 41.3% of his 3.5 threes scored in one game. A devastating blow.
Olynyk has just $3 million guaranteed next season, according to Spotrac, but it’s a safe bet that he’ll get the full $12.2 million he could potentially win in 2023-24.
Maybe Brad Stevens and Celtics ownership decided he was worth trading Pritchard and stepping into the luxury tax.
Given the difference between Olynyk and Pritchard’s contracts next season, adding $8.2 million to Boston’s cap sheet is a significant price to pay.
Sure, Boston could trade the former over the summer, but if it’s a financial move, it has its own hurdles, and depending on the destination, they may need to part with their draft funds.
And in a scenario like Pritchard and Reed signing a $1.9 million deal and becoming an unrestricted free agent at the age of 24 this summer, the move sees the Celtics see Reed as more than a loan. It is likely to indicate that
They’re already skyrocketing, but taking Pritchard and Luke Cornette’s deal off the books would make it more reasonable to do so.
But with Pritchard proving his worth to a team with the NBA’s best record of 35-12 this season, Boston decided the rotation was set and needed to get a player to get them through the regular season. may concentrate on
Keith Smith of the Celtics Blog recently reported that league sources indicated Boston would be open to trade talks for players under $7 million this season.
The Celtics’ $6.9 million trade player exception (TPE) that sent Juancho Hernangomez to the Spurs expired this week. But Boston still has one worth $5.9 million from when it rerouted Dennis Schroeder to the Rockets, among other TPEs.
The TPE will expire the day after the February 9 trading deadline. However, as Celtics fans have learned in recent years, these are often not used, and it wouldn’t be surprising if this was the case.
Boston also has a $3.23 million disability exception it received for Gallinari’s torn ACL.
And if the Celtics move forward with Pritchard in the post-Feb. 9 squad in the rotation, there’s a case for Hauser to receive playing time available from managing the minutes of players before him.
Boston could add a center, but even on that front, Cornette and Blake Griffin, who provided valuable time against the Raptors on Saturday, showed the Celtics could be happy with their standing putts.
They could also utilize Mfiondu Kabengele, who has a two-way contract, as he paces Robert Williams and Horford throughout the rest of the campaign.
So while Boston has options, the best solutions may be inside.
