I asked for mailbag questions and as usual you guys delivered. Here are your questions and my answers. (As usual, results may vary)
ezwind
With so few roster changes, it doesn’t seem like there are many, if any, major questions about this team. But there are a few minor ones:
1) With KP out for a while, has there been any indication that Luke is working on bringing back his long lost 3pt shot so that we can still play five out at times?
2) Same question for Tillman. Can we expect him to shoot more from the perimeter?
3) Are Springer and Walker an either/or situation or is there any chance that both make the roster?
4) Barring an injury situation, what are the chances that Scheierman plays regular or even semi-regular minutes outside of blowouts?
I do not think that Kornet is going to turn back into a volume 3 point shooter. It seems like he’s content to focus on what got him back in the league and into a rotation role on the team. I do see Tillman working to improve his jumper. He’s at least willing to take them and if he can improve his efficiency from the corners he could have some success there.
I could see both Springer and Walker making the team, depending on how they handle the 2-way guys. Of course I still think that Springer is the most likely piece that could be traded for a very minor piece (or if they wanted to shave a tiny bit of salary).
I think Scheierman has an outside shot at spot minutes this year. He’s an older rookie and he can shoot. We just have to see if he can hold up defensively. The Celtics are going to need wing depth and we’ll see how ready Walsh is to play minutes.
Charlie-two-protons
Marcus Smart is the obvious answer, but which former Celtic would you like to see back on the squad?
I miss the vibes from the Timelord. I really want to see him string together some healthy seasons but that’s always going to be a worry and it is possible that we sold high on him last year. Still, he was a lot of fun to watch on the court and seemingly a chill guy off it.
It is probably too late now, but I would have still welcomed a return of Isaiah Thomas, even if it was a deep bench vet role.
Finally, it might be fun someday to see Terry Rozier make a return to Boston. He left on kind of a sour note, but that was a very odd season and I would hope there’s no lingering bad feelings.
pdelevett
If Scheierman has a great camp, does Boston cut Walker loose to save the luxury tax? Or is having a proven scorer on our deep bench worth the financial hit? (Related question: Even if he takes the $75K bonus to report to Maine, how big is the risk another team signs Walker out of the G-League if he plays well there?)
If Walker sticks around, it will be on a minimum deal. If Stevens decides to cut him and keep only 14 players they would still have a cap hold so I’m not sure if they would save any money (sorry, I’m not as much of a cap wiz as our old friend Keith). It would mostly be about keeping roster flexibility (and even then, as a 2nd apron team, Boston wouldn’t be able to out-bid anyone). Seems to me they should ride with 15 players if only to have live bodies to use during blowouts and for deep bench options.
Dont miss that free throw
What do you think about Al Horford playing beyond 24-25? Does Brad offer him an extension mid-season if he wants to continue to play or will they take a wait and see how he plays this season approach?
This is tough. Al was still very valuable this past year and my heart believes he will be again this coming year (if his minutes are managed well). With that said, time runs out on everyone and that clock is ticking. I wouldn’t rule out retirement at the end of the year, depending on how he feels both physically and mentally at that point. From a salary cap perspective, the team might be counting on his $9.5M coming off the books anyway.
ACEarl
What’s your read on the emotional energy that the Celtics will attack the season with?
Tatum tends to be pretty aloof, Jaylen focuses his anger, and the rest of the top 6 tend to play steady veteran.
But in the title celebrations, it was clear that these guys felt the monkey off their back (“What they gonna say now?!?!”).
So what’s your read on the group entering the next season? Do you think they come at the year playing free and easy like the ‘10’s Warriors once they got one? Are they enraged at all the million slights that have happened since the title— Tatum and Brown’s Olympic treatment, the middle finger of the 2k ratings, etc.— causing them to come out firing like John Wick? Are they frustrated and tight, or tired, or too relaxed? Or steady enough to roll it back and get right back to work with the same steady demeanor? What do you think?
My glass half full theory is that they are going to enjoy having that monkey off their backs and play looser and thus more confident and free. Plus, Joe Mazzulla isn’t going to let them relax too much. The example I always go to is the 2008-09 Celtics who were even better than the previous year (right up until KG got hurt).
I admit I’m still a little “once bitten, twice shy” with this group. I still remember how much they would take two steps forward and one step back in past years. Seemingly letting go of the rope when they seemed to be up or playing a team down a key player. They exercised a lot of those daemons last year but human nature is what it is and it is hard to be focused every moment of every game.
I’m still seeing that glass half full, but I don’t rule out an occasional crack or leak.
CelticsWest
Let’s see what I’ve got…
What’s one thing you’d like to see removed from the Cs offensive and defensive game plan? Under what circumstances would Joe run a double-big tandem of Luke and Nemi?Which two-way or exhibit 10 player will make the biggest impact? What Celtic will show up at media day with the best hair?
This may sound a bit odd, but I don’t want anything removed from the C’s offense. Yes, I know that means we have to live with an occasional “stand around for an iso step back” that will have me pulling out the little hair I have left. But you know what? Sometimes in the playoffs that’s literally all you can get in a specific situation. So you might as well get some game practice with it during the season.
I have a similar answer on defense but for a slightly different reason. With how advanced offenses are these days, I don’t think you can rely on any one, two, or three different schemes. You have to layer them in, mix them up, and do everything you can to keep opponents off balance. I say play more zone (especially with Jrue playing rover). Throw in an occasional full court blitz. Surprise them by leaving a shooter ridiculously wide open just to mess with their heads. Have the whole team do the Kornet Kontest at the same time to distract the shooter. Double bigs. All wings. JT at point-center. Kitchen sink; all in. Try everything.
Peter White
The Celtics cannot carry all these big contracts after the 2024-25 season, so besides Al Horford which big contract will be traded first?
Ideally we’ll just keep winning titles and the new owners will keep throwing money at the roster and we only have to worry about the back half of the roster. Of course we don’t live in an ideal world.
Note that I don’t think anyone is moved this season. So all the following is my best guess about future offseasons (perhaps even beyond next summer).
The sad truth is that this will probably come down to injuries and age. Porzingis is going to earn close to $31M in 2025-26. If he has a setback or another major injury in the next year or two, he could be a salary dump at some point. Likewise, it is worth noting that Jrue Holiday is 34 years old. He’s still very productive and in a seemingly perfect situation. If and when he starts to show his age, his contract is going to feel heavier on the books before it is over.
Theoretically the team could get more in return for Derrick White, but I don’t really like to think about a world without him on the Celtics, so I’m going to pretend I didn’t just bring that up.
The only other wildcard to mention is Jaylen Brown. He seems happy enough in Boston (Championships tend to have that effect). But if he had a sudden urge to play in his hometown of Atlanta (or whatever) and requests a trade (perhaps to a team where he can be THE star) then I could see him moving on.
This isn’t a fun topic, but realistically all great teams get broken up at some point. But hey, by that point we’ll have 3 or 4 more banners, so it won’t be so bad, right?
Thanks again everyone for the questions!
