Sometimes the sponge of my brain becomes oversaturated but none of the thoughts are developed enough for a full article. So I sop them up with a rag and wring them out into a bucket called “scattered thoughts” for the blog. Hope you enjoy.
I need to squeeze in this Jaylen Brown trade thought before I turn the page. I’m not looking to re-litigate the trade or anything like that. I just still find it disconcerting that I spent several years and lots of blog space defending the “fit” between Tatum and Brown only to find out that ultimately Brad Stevens agreed with the folks that said they needed to be broken up. I still don’t think those of us defending the pair were wrong, after all they did deliver a banner. Perhaps it is more than a binary argument. Perhaps it worked for a while, but wasn’t expected to continue working within the structure of the greater NBA going forward. I still don’t know how I feel about all that but we’ll see how things go.
This isn’t a unique thought, but it will certainly be interesting to see what the team eventually does with all the “optionality” that they obtained this summer. That might mean flipping Paul George and draft capital for another star (which would be somewhat head scratching) or it might mean breaking his contract up into smaller pieces and helpful role players. Or if George fits in well enough, he could be convinced to decline his option and sign a longer term deal for lower annual dollars.
Everyone is (correctly) describing the Celtics as a regular season wins machine. Which of course is actually just a backhanded compliment that points out that the postseason flame-outs have been concerning. That 2024 title puts them in a different category than teams like the Cavs, but this team is too talented to keep getting bounced early in the playoffs.
To make that long run, the team needs as close to full health as possible in the Spring. You kind of have to build in rest and games missed for guys like Paul George, Mitchell Robinson, and perhaps even Jayson Tatum (if he lets them). To get through the year, they’ll need to lean on their youth and depth players. I have been assuming rookie Chris Cenac wouldn’t play a lot, but I could see him getting occasional starts to fill in for Paul George without disrupting the rotations too much.
Derrick White is another X factor this year. Like many fans, I’m optimistic that his shooting will bounce back playing alongside Jayson Tatum and perhaps in a role more suited to his strengths. However, even if that line on the graph points upward, there’s another theoretical line sloping downward that tracks footspeed as players age. Don’t get me wrong, I think he’ll be highly useful on both sides of the ball for years to come. I’m just flagging this as something to consider going forward.
I’m on at least year 2 of wondering if there’s going to be a Sam Hauser trade at some point. Perhaps not until the trade deadline, and only if they get back value for him. I just see him as the most easily moved player with value at a position of strength and depth. I think that’s also an option they can turn to if/when the team sees any rotation players miss time with injuries and they need more depth options.
Pritchard deserves to start if he really wants to, but I’m in the camp that thinks his best role would be off the bench as 6th man initiator. We’ll see if Joe agrees.
I’m excited for year 2 of Hugo.
That’s all I’ve got for now. I’m sure Media Day will bring lots more thoughts to the front of my cerebral cortex. Your turn, share your own scattered thoughts below.
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