On the one hand, the Celtics were lucky that the Grizzlies slipped out of the # 1 playoff spot. 8, eliminating them from the 17th absolute choice. But within the Celtics organization there was once the hope that this choice would turn into a real gem had it not been protected in 2021. The Grizzlies were one of the surprise teams in the league this season, just like the Kings were last year, when they ended up shipping. the 14th overall pick in Boston.
It’s hard to be upset about the extra lottery selections, but this is a case where the value of both choices peaked when anything was possible. The hindsight is 20/20, of course.
Regardless, the Celtics now own picks 14, 26, and 30 in this year’s draft. They won’t add three players to the roster, so they will have plenty of options and don’t be surprised if they end up kicking the can along the way to add another potential future lottery that gives them another swing in the batter’s box.
▪ Coach Brad Stevens generally avoids getting involved in league issues over which he doesn’t have much control; for example, when next season starts. When asked if the 2020-21 list would be moved beyond the December start date that was suggested, he mainly said the decision would be made by the board of governors and the players union.
But then he took a stand, which was quite unusual for him. NBPA President Michele Roberts recently indicated that the league may also have to play next season in a bubble. Stevens has embraced this unusual setup so far, but pushed hard – unsuccessfully – for the coaches’ families to be cleared in Orlando. And Friday gave a similar push regarding the possibility of being separated again for an extended period.
“I don’t know anything about the start times and all the other things,” he said. “I know that whatever we choose to do, I hope we can include some more time at home with our loved ones in some way.”
The bubble has been a hit so far, but the reality is that it’s ultimately a very small segment of the season and doesn’t even involve the entire league. Within a week or so, only eight teams will remain. The league will likely move the start date for next season as far as possible to potentially bring back fans in some way. But if that doesn’t work, there will be more resistance to a bubble for the entire season than to a reduced one.
▪ The NBA has started releasing its post-season awards. Raptors manager Nick Nurse was named manager of the year on Saturday. We shouldn’t reveal our full cards yet, but I’ll share here where I’ve included the Celtics. I voted Marcus Smart first All-Defense team, Jayson Tatum third All-NBA team and Jaylen Brown received my third place as Most Advanced Player.
▪ Robert Williams was the most pleasant surprise in Boston during the seeding matches. The big man of the second year, who has been sidelined with a hip problem for much of this season, has shown his flurry, athleticism and even a medium-range jump shot. It seemed perhaps to supplant Enes Kanter as a backup center.
But Williams was used sparingly in this series against the 76ers. He played a total of 19 minutes and didn’t play at all in Game 3. He didn’t do anything wrong; it’s not just the best matchup for him. He doesn’t have the size, strength or 3-point shot to be a good option against 76ers big man Joel Embiid. So Kanter replaced Daniel Theis, and when Embiid sat down Stevens turned to 6-foot 6-inch rookie Grant Williams to play some small ball center.
It has worked quite well so far. The Celtics beat Philly by 32.7 points for every 100 possessions with Kanter on the ground in this series and 26.2 points for every 100 possessions with Grant Williams on the ground. These are the two highest net scores of the team.
If the Celtics face the Raptors in the next round, look for Robert Williams to get more than one hit. Marc Gasol no longer overpowers anyone at the post and Serge Ibaka never did.
▪ Grant Williams, by the way, deserves a tip of his hat for his recent long distance shot. Williams started this season by losing 25 consecutive triples. It is 3 out of 3 from over the arc in this series.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach.
