TheCeltics are bringingin a number of new frontcourt facesto training camp this season although one potential optionsigned with Atlanta this week. Will one emerge from the pack as Joe Mazzulla’s new power forward. Let’s explore those possibilities, Al Horford’s legacy and much more in this week’s mailbag.
Brian,
Personally, I considered Al Horford a lock to have his number retired. He was their first big free agent get of the current team and has been a stalwart player on and off the court. He won a championship. But that was assuming that he retired a Celtic. Now that it appears that he will not, I’m not so sure. What are your thoughts on the possibility of Horford’s number being hung from the rafters after he retires? —Sean
It will be a fascinating question for new ownership to tackle. He definitely felt like a shoo-in to me after another couple of years in green, something that felt inevitable with the way he talked about his future before the end of the season. However, Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tear changes the reality for next season for both Boston and Horford. The team obviously couldn’t justify paying Horford his worth for a non-contender, and Horford understandably wants to play for another ring, leading to his expected departure to Golden State.
The final body of work for Horford in Boston amounts to seven seasons, two Finals appearances, and a championship. He only made one All-Star team during his time in Boston (2017-18) so while he was a key contributor throughout his tenure, he was far from his prime here. Given that he spent more time in Boston than someone like Ray Allen, I think he has a pretty strong case, especially if this Celtics era only ends up with one championship. If Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown make another couple of Finals runs without the big man, it may be easier to leave him out. However, he was a more important part of a title team than a lot of other players already in the Boston rafters.
How different does the roster look if Tatum never got hurt? Would the same acquisitions have been made? — Big Sammie
I think we are looking at a far different roster, although I expect that Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday would still have been the likely candidates to be traded due to their salaries and the second apron. The secondary deals on the roster look a lot different if Tatum is back healthy this year since this is a group that would still be among the favorites for the East at that point.
One easy place to begin would be free agent signings. I think there’s a far better chance one of Al Horford and/or Luke Kornet is back if Tatum is here. It’s hard to envision Brad Stevens using roster spots on unproven talents like Josh Minott and Luka Garza for the benefit of getting them on multi-year deal as well with Tatum healthy. Instead, more proven veteran talents may have been the targets since Boston would have been able to offer big roles on a contender with the departures of Porzingis and Holiday.
There were several useful players signed for the minimum this summer (Bruce Brown, Larry Nance Jr., Tim Hardaway Jr.) by contenders and the guess here is Boston would have been in the market for more players of that ilk. The Hugo Gonzalez pick probably would not have changed since no one selected in that slot could be expected to contribute right away.
Hello Brian. Who should start at power forward? Do the Celtics play all the young guys to start the season off the bench or only a few? — CsFanMan66
The power forward starting spot is probably going to be a fascinating indicator of how Joe Mazzulla wants to play this season. The team could go with an all-offense look and start Jaylen Brown/Sam Hauser at the forward spots, leaving the team looking quite vulnerable from a size and rebounding standpoint defensively (but very dynamic on offense). Going double bigs with Chris Boucher and Neemias Queta would be a way to shore up defensive size and rebounding concerns while still having some 3-point range to stretch the floor at power forward with Boucher. The other wildcard option is a bench wing emerging (Josh Minott?) to add some athleticism and defense to what Mazzulla wants to be an uptempo group. Ultimately, the guess here is Boucher for now but a case can be made for Hauser given his track record and how Mazzulla wants to play offensively.
I only think we see a couple of the young guys off the bench to begin the year. I expect Queta to start and Luka Garza to be in the rotation. I’d project two of the Minott/Walsh/Scheierman/Gonzalez contingent making their way into the rotation but difficult to envision Mazzulla going deeper than that on a nightly basis. It will be a fun battle to watch during training camp to see who emerges from that group.
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