A baseball team can never have too many pitchers. A football team can never have too many pass-catchers. But, can a basketball team have too many guards? That is the dilemma the Boston Celtics have to decipher before this season’s trade deadline.
Rookie and first-round draft pick Marcus Smart comes into his first season looking to make an immediate impact. Avery Bradley was just re-signed to a new four year extension. Perennial all-star Rajon Rondo is still on the roster, but only has one year on his contract left. The C’s still have Phil Pressey and rookie James Young, along with recently acquired Marcus Thorton.
So what are the Celtics’ options for their loaded backcourt? Let’s dive in.
Let Them Play!
Option number one, and probably the most obvious. Let Rondo play his normal spot at the one, and let Bradley play the two. Over the season, let Smart work his way into the rotation and earn his minutes. Fellow rookie James Young comes into Boston as a player who has a fair amount of excitement around him, (see Bill Simmons fist-pump on national television).
Smart has the ability to play either guard spot. His physical attributes made him the premier combo guard in this years past NBA Draft. His poor shooting ability could put a strangle-hold on his potential minutes in big spots. However, on the flip side, his defensive prowess could shine through in big moments in need of full-court press, or scenarios along those lines. Smart’s defense in college was great. He had 99 career steals, good for a five percent steal percentage. Opposing guards shot just 27% from the field while Smart was guarding them.
Working in Smart off the bench while Rondo or Bradley are on the bench, could make for a very solid second unit. As we seen in this past year’s NBA Finals, a good bench is crucial. If a team doesn’t have a bench, your starters are playing the whole game. If your starters play the whole game, they get cramps. If your starters get cramps, they become wide-spread internet meme material. Don’t have your starters play the whole game. Get a good bench.
The Celtics also have a couple other guards on their roster. If the Celtics do not waive Phil Pressey by midnight on July 15th, then his contract becomes guaranteed for the 2014-2015 season. When the Avery Bradley deal is announced, the Celtics will have 17 players on the roster. Pressey, along with Chris Babb and Chris Johnson have non-guaranteed contracts. Pressey should be able to make the roster based on his past performances.
Trade someone, anyone!
Option number two, and the most talked about option. Trade Rajon Rondo. This option has been talked about, seriously, since last season when the Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce trade happened. There have been multiple reports, from multiple different media outlets in regards to a Rondo trade. CelticsBlog.com went in depth on the potential trades for Rajon Rondo.
The most talked about suitor, is Houston. The Rockets have no assets whatsoever, after trading Omar Asik and Jeremy Lin while also losing Chandler Parsons to free agency. If Houston wants to land Rondo, it will have to be a three team deal which is just too crazy to guess at.
The Denver Nuggets finished 13 games out of a playoff spot last season. They could look to make a splash and try and change their roster a bit. Especially in the Western Conference where it’s so competitive, a team needs star power. The Celtics could send Rondo and the awful Gerald Wallace contract to the Nuggets for Ty Lawson and Danilo Gallinari. Lawson is a good fit in Brad Stevens offense, and Gallinari is a good, young piece.
The Sacramento Kings are another team that was interested in Rondo, but the loss of Isaiah Thomas hurts their chances. Still, if worst comes to worst, they could work something out. The Celtics would send Rondo to the Kings, in return for Derrick Williams, Ben McLemore, Quincy Adams and a future first round pick. Right off the bat, it looks like a bad deal. But say they think Rondo is going to walk away at the end of the season, it’s a great one. McLemore could be one of the best players from his draft class, he has potential elite offensive ability. Williams is still incredibly young, and was a very high first-round pick in 2011.
The Smart Move
Danny Ainge should play this, no pun intended, smartly. Doug Bibby, Rondo’s High School Coach, said “It wont affect him[Rondo]” In regards to the Marcus Smart pick, “If anything it just woke up a beast.” If that is the case, the Celtics are in a great spot. If this works out to Danny Ainge’s dream, Rondo and Smart play together like Jason Kidd and Vince Carter, and lead the Celtics back to relevance after an abysmal season. In a historically weak Eastern Conference, a team can finish under .500 and make the playoffs. It will be an intresting season to say the least.