The Celtics have taken care of much of the business they were expected to address this summer, namely, trading Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday in cost-saving moves, then re-routing Georges Niang to Utah for similar reasons. The one question mark left is Anfernee Simons, who was acquired in the Holiday trade with the Blazers, but that question will likely not have an imminent resolution, according to Brian Robb of Mass Live.
Robb notes that in addition to being a talented player capable of picking up some of the scoring load that will be needed with Jayson Tatum out for the year, Simons also remains their one major trade chip outside of the core players of Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard.
Because of that, it’s unlikely the Celtics will rush into a deal to move him. If the time comes to trade him, it will likely be in a deal that helps the team’s long-term plans of returning to title contention once Tatum recovers from his Achilles injury.
We have more from the Celtics:
- Another lingering question for Boston is who will win the battle for the starting center role. The Celtics currently have Neemias Queta, Chris Boucher, Luka Garza, and Xavier Tillman Sr. on their roster, none of whom have an established track record as a starter. Robb claims that Queta will likely have pole position due to him having the best combination of rim protection and rebounding, though he says the window is open if someone like Boucher were to beat him out in training camp. He also notes that health will likely play a big part in determining Tillman’s role, as the former Spartan big man has dealt with knee problems over the last two years that have limited his contributions.
- With Tatum out, White will be counted on to carry a much larger offensive load than the role he’s become accustomed to in Boston. Chris Forsberg and the NBA Sports Boston Staff discuss what they hope to see from him this season, ranging from increasing the volume of his scoring output and achieving his first 20-point-per-game season to being named to his first All-Star team. Forsberg notes that in games without Tatum last season, White averaged 20.8 points,5.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game, though he adds that White has, at times, been prone to cold shooting streaks, which will be harder for the Celtics to weather now.
- The Celtics’ guard rotation appears to be set with Pritchard, White, and Simons, but if any of them were to miss time, Robb is considering an unexpected name to pick up the slack: Baylor Scheierman. Robb writes that Scheierman impressed the team towards the end of last season with his ability to function as a playmaker in the pick-and-roll, and that the Celtics are looking for more of that from him this season, if he’s able to carve out a role for himself off the bench.
Simons is a rental. He’s in contract year and will try to showcase himself. If he wants to do it by scoring a lot it will be a mistake. He should show improvement in defense if he wants to be considered what he is considered now, a small guard Who can score but not defend. That’s sixth man material
Celtics play defense. Its a no brainier for Simons to want to stay on the Celtics with their offense and their team defense. White and Brown are top defenders and Pritchard and Hauser can hold their own.
I am much more worried about the Bigs after Queta. Garza is slow and Tillman is undersized.