The Boston Celtics have quietly been one of the most surprising stories of the 2015-16 NBA season, as they head into tonight’s action with the Detroit Pistons at 28-22, good enough for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference as we speak.
There was never a doubt that head coach Brad Stevens would turn the Celtics’ fortunes around when they lured him away from Butler. But he’s been way ahead of schedule, especially considering Rajon Rondo was traded midway through last season, as many expected the rebuild to take a number of years. Instead, the Celtics cemented the No. 7 seed in the 2015 playoffs and have a chance to be in the top three or four this season.
With that said, the Celtics undoubtedly have a few holes to fill on their roster if they want to truly make noise in 2016. Boston mainly runs a three-man frontcourt rotation of Jared Sullinger, Amir Johnson and Kelly Olynyk, and the unit simply hasn’t played up to potential thus far. Meanwhile, guys like David Lee and Tyler Zeller have essentially vanished.
Boston gives up 21.4 points (fifth-worst in NBA) and 12 rebounds per game (worst in NBA) to power forwards. Against centers, the Celtics are average at best, as they give up 19.9 points (14th overall) and 14.7 rebounds per game (18th overall).
Thus, they have no choice but to make a move, as their defense in the paint is weighing them down.
Boston has been rumored to be interested in Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks recently, and he would undoubtedly help the Celtics offensively but doesn’t play tenacious defense. Today, the Celtics have been linked to Dwight Howard of the Houston Rockets, which makes far more sense.
Possible Dwight Howard Trade ‘Not A Bad Roll Of Dice’ For #Celtics: @celticsvoice on @Toucherandrich https://t.co/VTx9HTm4UC
— 98.5 The Sports Hub (@985TheSportsHub) February 3, 2016
Howard has an opt-out clause in his contract and projects to use it if the Rockets keep him until the offseason, as he’s been rumored to be incredibly unhappy playing second-fiddle to James Harden. Thus, there’s some risk involved in targeting him, as if he was unhappy with Boston as well, he could walk after the season.
But there’s also plenty of possible reward as other than the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors, no team in the Eastern Conference playoff picture has set themselves apart from the pack.
It’s unclear exactly what the Rockets will command in return, but considering Howard’s reputation for being a diva and an overall headache in the locker room, it’s fair to assume it won’t be a king’s ransom. The Rockets don’t have the pieces in place to win a championship anytime soon and need to focus on bringing in players who will gel with Harden.
The Celtics could likely pull this deal off by including a big-man or two along with some picks. If that’s indeed the case, they must pull the trigger.
