The Boston Celtics are coming off another deep playoff run, coming up short in game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals against the eventual champions the Miami Heat.
While the Celtics can be happy with their finish, they have a long way to go if they are to be real title contenders next year.
Throughout the playoffs, a number of flaws were exposed, the most obvious being that their bench was one of the worst in the playoffs.
Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were logging 40 minutes a night and their front line was thin (Kevin Garnett, Brandon Bass, Greg Stiemsma and Ryan Hollins.
So this off season, Danny Ainge is under the pump. Ainge made it clear that his main priority was to re-sign Kevin Garnett, Jeff Green, Ray Allen and Brandon Bass first, before shifting his focus to other players such as Mickael Pietrus and Greg Stiemsma.
The contract offers so far are Kevin Garnett for $34 million over three years, Brandon Bass for $20 million over three years, Jeff Green for $40 million over four years and Jason Terry for $16 million over three years.
Ray Allen has accepted a deal with the Miami Heat. He is the only loss from the Celtics roster so far, and it may not be as devastating as it may seem. The Celtics depth chart shows that at the shooting guard position, the C’s have two very good players. Avery Bradley is the young defensive ace who adds athleticism to the Celtics roster and Jason Terry the veteran scorer who can create his own shots.
These are good signs, but there is a long way to go before Celtics fans can realistically think about bringing back the glory to Boston-town.
Build your own ultimate team! Pick your key players and take a shot at big cash prizes every day with Draftstars. For great odds on NBA games every day head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
It's crunch time for the Celtics, on and off the court.
Boston have plenty of question marks in their charge to the NBA title.
Thursday, 16 June 2022. With his team down 13, Jayson Tatum heads to the bench with 1:03 left in Game 6 of the NBA…
Australian NBA star Josh Giddey has led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a huge 150-117 upset over the NBA-leading Boston Celtics and setting a…
Bill Russell, one of the greatest players in basketball history, has died, aged 88.
Golden State have clinched their seventh NBA championship after beating the Celtics in Boston in game six.
