The Boston Celtics have vaulted themselves into relevancy on the strength of a 10-1 win streak that has them challenging the Cleveland Cavaliers for the best record in the Eastern Conference.
Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas has been torching the NBA, averaging a hair under 30 points a game for the season, and easily leads fourth quarter scoring by a mile. His play over the past month+ has put him squarely in the MVP conversation, and he has silenced any, and all, of his early season critics.
At the same time, Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers have slipped a notch. With Love now out indefinitely with a knee injury, and other key injuries to role players such as Chris Anderson and J.R. Smith, James took to the media to complain about needing more help. The King’s lamentations made headline news and circled around the talk show circuits.
At the same time Cleveland’s other challenger, the Toronto Raptors, have fallen to 4th in the East, and are just 4-6 in their last 10 games. Toronto pushed Cleveland to six games in the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals and was considered a more realistic rising challenge to the Cavs, than the boys in Green. The addition of 4-time All Star big man Al Horford and the continued rise of Thomas has changed the landscape in the East.
With the February 23rd trade deadline rapidly approaching, all eyes are on Celtics President of Basketball Operations, Danny Ainge. The front office exec with the most flexibility and assets in the league is in a great position to put Boston over the top, and pull off a similar coup to when assembled the original “Big 3” back in 2007. “Trader Danny” tapped his former Celtic teammate, then-Minnesota Timberwolves GM Kevin McHale, to bring Kevin Garnett to Beantown for a slew of assets including players and draft picks. Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce led Boston to its 17th banner, but it’s first championship since in 22 years.
Boston has been at the top of the headlines with rumors swirling around a potential trade to bring another All Star to provide Isaiah and Al Horford some help. The latest names being discussed are the Chicago Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler and the Indiana Pacers forward Paul George.
While Butler would make a nice addition, his position (shooting guard-small forward) would require either Avery Bradley or Jae Crowder being traded, or relocated to the bench. Both Bradley and Crowder are the type of defense-first, gritty role players that are needed to win championships.
Paul George, however, would be the game changer. At 6’9, George is a combo forward whose versatility allows him flourish at the either spot. He’s having a solid season averaging 22.5 points and 6.1 rebounds a game.
A starting lineup of Thomas, Bradley, Crowder, Horford, and George would not only push Boston ahead of Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, but would give the Celtics a legitimate shot to also knock off the league leading Golden State Warriors.
Bradley and Crowder give Boston elite defenders to defend top flight scorers like James, Kylie Irving, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. George’s talent and versatility makes him literally un-guardable at the power forward spot. Horford would slide over to center which would allow him to exploit opposing centers with his versatility. George would create a defensive conundrum with teams having to decide whether to key on Thomas or George, and as a result, Boston’s slew of quality role players such as Bradley, Crowder, Marcus Smart, Terry’s Rozier, and Kelly Olynyk would find themselves wide open.
In facing Cleveland, Kevin Love would have zero chance of containing George. Against a team like the Warriors, George gives the Celtics a fair matchup vs. Kevin’s Durant.
Acquiring Paul George will bring Banner 18 to Boston. Lebron isn’t getting any younger and Cleveland can’t spend much more money than they already are to get better. Washington is also on the rise and Toronto is still dangerous, but Boston would be class of the East.
Isaiah Thomas is 28 years old, and Al Horford is in the 1st year of a 4-year deal. The time is now.
It’s easy to like the rookie, Jaylen Brown, but a 19-year old isn’t going to help the Celtics win now. And neither will any of the draft picks that Danny Ainge has stockpiled. The rebuilding time is over; it is time to convert those potential-laden assets into a major piece.
It’s time for Ainge to make his move. A poker game has been going on where other General Managers are trying to entice Ainge to give up his assets for a player that his less than fair value in return. Ainge has been reluctant to pull the trigger, and has been holding out for the best deal.
But it’s now time to go all in. Holding assets to continue to rebuild makes no sense given the rise of the team’s performance this season, and the 4-year window of Horford’s contract and the age of Thomas.
A hypothetical trade including Amir Johnson ($12m), Jonas Jerebko ($5m), and Jaylen Brown ($4.7m) plus Brookyln’s first round picks in 2017 and 2018 for Paul George ($18m) works in the trade machine.
It would be hard for Indiana to turn down the future upside of Brown and two lottery picks, especially one in the talent laden 2017 NBA Draft.
Danny, make the call and lean on another one of your former Celtic teammates – this time Larry Bird – and make this happen!
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