Sports Illustrated got team scouts to offer up assessments of all 30 teams in the league. Here’s one take on the Celtics:
“Al Horford is a really, really big upgrade for them. He’s a little older [30] and has a few more miles on his legs, but he fits the way they want to play. He’ll improve their defense and he’s also an offensive threat—not so much in the post, but in the pick-and-roll. He’s a good 18-foot shooter, a playmaking center. They didn’t have that in Jared Sullinger…
If Smart improves his shooting he can be the player that everybody thinks he can be. That’s always going to be his Achilles’ heel. He’s strong, great size for a point guard, really can defend. If he comes out [playing] well, there are a lot of options they have with that loadedbackcourt—I mean in the way they play and also in assets to make a trade with their high picks. . . .
Crowder has to take another step. He’s a good player and can lock down threes but I’m not convinced that he is their small forward of the future. [Rookie] Jaylen Brown, maybe, will be. . . . Brown will play. He’s not a very good shooter, but because he’s good defensively and he can run and has good size [6’ 7″], he’ll get minutes.”
Nothing truly surprising here, even the comments about Jae Crowder. I’m sure the Celtics are hoping Crowder keeps developing his game and becomes a star player but until Danny Ainge secures that franchise cornerstone, no one is guaranteed to be here for any amount of time.
There’s this blurb about Philly and Nerlens Noel:
I have to believe that in the first third of the season, they trade one of their three bigs. It will probably be Noel. He can defend but he’s really light in the ass—very thin. Maybe it’s to Boston for a wing player. Philadelphia is just so bad in the backcourt…
With each passing day, Philly loses leverage in any deal for Noel. Unless the market changes because a playoff team suffers a season ending injury to a big man, the 76ers will likely have to take Ainge’s subpar offer.
ICYMI – Danny went on 98.5 this morning and offered a vague analysis of Marcus Smart’s ankle injury and said Kelly Olynyk will likely be out until mid-November.
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