We fans are always fond of tinkering. Even when things are good, they could always be better. I’m wondering if that’s true this season though.
I don’t know if you could call this roster “perfect” per se. I know that there are positions that are not as deep as they could be. I know that there are players on the bench that have some pretty glaring weaknesses (which is why they are on the bench). However, there’s something to be said for continuity and giving the guys on the bench some time to develop and grow in the roles that they have available to them.
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First of all, I wouldn’t make any drastic moves to the top 7 or 8 players on the roster. Barring injury, this group is as good as any in basketball and humming along brilliantly right now. As they get more used to playing together, things will only fit together better in time for the playoffs.
Removing those pieces off the negotiation table leaves Brad Stevens with limited salaries and assets to offer in return. So, the players he could “afford” end up being players on smaller contracts. That typically means young players that aren’t highly regarded or other bench players that aren’t working out where they are. The Celtics already have guys like that on the roster. So, acquiring others is either a lateral move or would cost future assets for a questionable upgrade.
I’ll mention a brief aside about the tax implications. If the Celtics add salary, the tax implications add up exponentially. You and I don’t care about this, I do believe the owners would pay more tax if it meant a considerable upgrade, but if it is just a marginal-at-best upgrade, is it really worth it? That’s a question for Brad Stevens and the owners to debate.
What do you think? Should the Celtics be looking to upgrade at the deadline? Or should they take the “it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach?
