On the one hand, the Celtics were happy that the Grizzlies from the no. 8-playoff spot slipped, and they were thrown off the 17th overall pick. But within the Celtics organization, there was once hope that this choice would turn into a real gem if it was unprotected in 202. The Grizzlies were one of the league’s surprise teams this season, just as the Kings were last year, when they ended up sending the 14th overall pick to Boston.
It’s hard to panic about extra lottery picks, but this is an instance where the value of both choices peaked when anything was possible. Backhaul is 20/20, of course.
However, the Celtics now have the 14th, 26th and 30th picks in this year’s draft. They will not add three players to the roster, so they have a lot of options, and do not be surprised if they kick the gaze on the road to add another possible future for lottery that gives them another swing in the battery box.
▪ Coach Brad Stevens generally avoids dealing with league issues over which he has little control, such as when next season will start. When asked about the 2020-21 scale shifted above the December start date that has been suggested, he mostly said that the decision would be made by the board of directors and the players’ union.
But then he took a bit of a stand, which is a bit unusual for him. NBPA President Michele Roberts recently indicated that the league may have to play in a bubble next season as well. Stevens has embraced this unusual setup so far, but he has been pushing hard – to no avail – to allow families of coaches in Orlando. And on Friday, he gave a similar nudge related to the possibility of being divorced again for a long time.
“I know nothing about start times and all that other stuff,” he said. “I know that whatever we choose to do, I hope we can spend a little more time at home with loved ones in some way.”
The bubble has been a success so far, but the reality is that it is ultimately a very small segment of the season and does not even cover the entire league. In about a week, there will be only eight teams left. The league is likely to push back the start date of next season if it can potentially bring fans back in some way. But if that does not work, there will be more resistance to a bubble throughout the season than there was before this shortfall.
▪ The NBA has started publishing its postseason awards. Raptors coach Nick Nurse was named Coach of the Year on Saturday. We have yet to reveal our full ballots exactly, but I will share here where I picked up the Celtics. I voted Marcus Smart first-team All-Defense, Jayson Tatum third-team All-NBA, and Jaylen Brown got my vote in third place for Most Improved Player.
▪ Robert Williams was Boston’s most pleasant surprise during the seeding games. The second-year big man, who has been sitting with a hip issue much of this season, showed off his burst, athleticism, and even a mid-range jump, and revealed that Enes Kanter might be able to replace him as a backup center.
But Williams has been used sparingly in this series against the 76ers. He played a total of 19 minutes and did not play at all in Game 3. He did nothing wrong; it’s just not the best matchup for him. He has the size, the power when shooting with 3 points not to be a good option against the big man 76, Joel Embiid. That Kanter scored for Daniel Theis, and as Embiid sat down, Stevens turned to 6-foot-6-inch rookie Grant Williams to play some small-ball center.
It has worked out quite well so far. The Celtics have outscored Philly with 32.7 points per 100 possessions with Kanter on the floor in this series, and 26.2 points per 100 possessions with Grant Williams on the floor. Those are the two highest net ratings on the team.
If the Celtics are up against the Raptors in the next round, look for Robert Williams to get more of a shot. Marc Gasol no longer exaggerates in the post, and Serge Ibaka has never done so.
▪ Grant Williams deserves, in fact, a hat tip for his recent long-range shooting. Williams started this season by missing 25 consecutive 3-pointers. He’s 3 for 3 from outside the arc in this series.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach.
