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Joe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics
Brad Stevens has constructed arguably the deepest roster in the NBA. The Boston Celtics boast an elite eight-man rotation, with each player being a two or three-level scorer and high-level defender.
During the summer, multiple teams in the Eastern Conference made moves to improve their teams. Be it the New York Knicks, who added Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, or the Cleveland Cavaliers, who opted for a coaching change. As such, the Celtics may look to make a small tweak to their rotation ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
In a Nov. 26 article for ‘Sir Charles in Charge,’ Michael Saenz shared a potential trade that could help fortify the Celtics’ position as championship favorites. His idea looked like this:
Celtics receive: Kevin Love
Heat receive: Jaden Springer and two second-round picks
However, Saenz’s idea comes with a caveat: The deal only works if Jimmy Butler is also moved on and the Heat enter a rebuild.
“The only way this deal happens is if the Heat also move on from star Jimmy Butler,” Saenz wrote. “This trade would signify the team is satisfied with entering a time of rebuilding, as Love is toward the end of his career. As much as the Heat would likely prefer to move the NBA champion elsewhere, it’s hard to imagine finding a better offer. Springer is only 22 years old and could turn into a true rotation piece under coach Erik Spoelstra and company.”
Love is a former NBA champion and five-time All-Star. His rebounding, passing and three-point shooting ability would make him a strong fit for the back end of the Celtics bench rotation.
The Celtics Need Extra Depth on The Wing
Love, 36, has spent 69% of his career playing as a power forward. The other 31% comes at the center position. Given Boston’s embarrassment of riches at the five, it’s logical to believe Love would slot in as a rotation four, covering for Jayson Tatum and (sometimes) Al Horford.
Xavier Tillman has struggled to make an impact since joining the team earlier this year. His minutes have been inconsistent, and his production has been negligible. Adding a veteran such as Love, who brings a wealth of experience, could make sense. Furthermore, the Celtics would still maintain their open roster spot, thus keeping some flexibility.
Of course, the silver lining of Saenz’s trade proposal is that Miami would be entering a rebuild, and the Celtics would have one less obstacle in the East.
Celtics Could be Facing New Defensive Blueprint
On Saturday, Dec. 7, the Memphis Grizzlies secured a shock 127-121 win over the Celtics. A key talking point after the game was how Taylor Jenkins had his team’s defense ignore Jrue Holiday. In doing so, the Grizzlies encouraged Boston to force-feed the two-time champion with wide-open shots. Holiday went 8-of-26 from the field as he struggled with the increased usage.
When speaking to the media after the game, Jaylen Brown admitted other teams may follow a similar blueprint. After all, Memphis found a way to limit the team’s big three by encouraging them to find Holiday and let him take the shots.
“Teams will probably try (the Grizzlies’ approach), and I hope so,” Brown said. “We’ve got full belief in Jrue. Tonight, maybe he didn’t shoot the ball as (well) as he’d like, but we’ve got full belief in Jrue and any of those guys, and we want to encourage it. So, yeah, we’ll be ready if teams do decide that.”
Adding Love or any other player via trade won’t stop teams from copying the Grizzlies. However, given Boston’s shooting talent and how quickly they make adjustments, it’s hard to see that system working on Mazzulla’s team again.
