Last year, the Boston Celtics played their first season without stars Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.
The duo had been traded to the Brooklyn Nets over the summer in what many called a “blockbuster deal.”
Why would the Celtics, consistent playoff contenders, trade two vital players away in the offseason?
Simple; it’s all about money.
Boston’s General Manager, Danny Ainge, recognized that both Pierce and Garnett were on the downward slope of their career.
In an attempt to free up salary cap space and attain some decent talent in return, Ainge opted to send the two to Brooklyn, along with shooting guard Jason Terry, in exchange for a platoon of players from the Nets.
The 2013-2014 NBA season marked the first year of the Celtics’ rebuild towards greatness.
Unfortunately, but rather expectedly, the team finished with a dismal record of just 25-57, failing to make the playoffs for the first time since 2007.
This year, the C’s hope to improve on that record, starting with two first-round draft picks and a pocket full of money.
With the sixth and seventeenth picks in the first round of the 2014 NBA draft, the Celtics selected guard Marcus Smart from Ohio State University and forward James Young from The University of Kentucky respectively.
The draft of Smart raised some eyebrows around the league as the C’s had opted to retain both of their starting guards, Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley.
This left no spot for Smart in the starting lineup. Smart though, was still an intelligent draft at the six spot.
His length makes him an exceptional defender and his size allows him to play either the shooting guard or the point guard.
It is still unknown which position he will play, but it will be determined by his performance on the court and his interactions with his teammates.
The Celtics’ other draft pick, James Young, is a talented small forward from NCAA Championship runners-up, Kentucky.
His shooting prowess and athleticism lands him safely as a backup for Jeff Green.
Draft day was not the only time the C’s attempted to gain an edge during the offseason.
They re-signed Avery Bradley to a four-year, 32-million dollar contract, and although they did not acquire all-star power forward Kevin Love, they did receive big-man Tyler Zeller from the Cavaliers.
Zeller is an improvement over Boston’s current crop of big-men (save Jared Sullinger) and will likely add a much needed presence in the paint.
Perhaps the biggest story of the offseason for the Celtics was the lack of a story at all.
Many predicted that star point guard, Rajon Rondo, would be traded for draft picks or a package of lesser players.
Rondo however, remains in Boston and says, “I don’t want to leave. I’m a Celtic.”
It does make sense then, for Grantland analyst Zach Lowe to predict that “Boston will keep Rajon Rondo and trade Jeff Green.”
Last season, Jeff Green was one of the most inconsistent players in the NBA, scoring 30 points one night and under 10 the next.
Perhaps Green’s only redemption was his buzzer-beating three-point game-winner over the Miami Heat, dubbed “Play of the Season” by NBA.com.
Even if the Celtics manage to keep both Green and Rondo, their 2015 playoff hopes look bleak.
For Boston then, the upcoming season will be a rebuilding year.
Coach Brad Stevens says he will try to create a cohesive environment, suitable for championship contenders, but I fear that the talent just isn’t there this year.
All-in-all, the Celtics did a reasonable job this off-season of acquiring valuable draft picks and retaining key players.
They won’t make the playoffs by a long shot in 2015, but the youth of this year’s squad will make for some exciting, quick-tempo games.
Since I began watching basketball, I have come to recognize that every team goes through its ups and downs.
The Celtics are at a low point at this stage in time, but that won’t stop me from wearing my Boston green at every chance I get.
The 2014-2015 NBA season starts Tuesday, Oct 28. The Celtics play their first game at home on Wednesday against the Brooklyn Nets at 7:30 p.m.
Cal Thompson can be contacted at cthompson@keene-equinox.com
