After flopping in round one of the playoffs, a Boston Celtics big offseason is needed to cover up the weaknesses that the Philadelphia 76ers brought to light. In order to have another deep playoff run, Boston will need a true point guard and to tweak their style of play.
Celtics Big Offseason Coming?
This playoff run screams that something needs to be fixed. Losing in the first round to the 76ers after going up 3-1 in the series is a disgrace. Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has always been aggressive when changes are needed. He has won the NBA Executive of the Year award twice since he left the sidelines as a coach and took a front office position. Celtics fans should be excited about what highly effective moves he has planned for this summer.
What Needs To Be Fixed
The Celtics need a true point guard to get back on top. Payton Pritchard isn’t that guy. In the playoffs, teams need a point guard who can do it all, with elite traits like facilitating, playing defense, scoring, and being a leader. In 2024, when claiming the title, Jrue Holiday played that role and was a huge part of the team’s success.
Acquired in a 2023 trade, Holiday produced immediate results, including helping to facilitate an NBA Championship in his first year with the club. Pritchard is an amazing sixth man off the bench, but not the ideal starting point guard for a deep run.
The Celtics’ focus has been to live and die by the three, and it’s finally caught up with them. It’s time for head coach Joe Mazzulla and the rest of the organization to try something else.
This style of play has had success, but it doesn’t fit the current roster. They have no plan B when the shots aren’t falling. Paint presence is what the Celtics lack and need to improve, whether that means adding a big man to the roster or changing up the style of play a bit. Dominating the paint in the NBA is important, and Boston doesn’t have it, which led to their first-round exit.
