Boston Celtics big man Vincent Poirier may have only recently become a known figure to the masses once he came stateside but the 25-year-old has been on the Celtics’ radar for multiple seasons and last season, Boston tried to bring Poirier onboard prior to the playoffs.
In the midst of a season that saw their centers dropping like flies when they were caught by the injury bug, the Celtics’ thought process was sensible. Centers Al Horford and Aron Baynes, neither with the team, had missed 14 and 31 games respectively. 27-year-old center Daniel Theis missed an additional 16 games.
“They were in contact with my agents, not with me,” said Poirier, “But I preferred to finish the season with Baskonia. We organized the EuroLeague Final Four and I really wanted to participate. We failed to make it but I don’t regret staying until the end of the season.”
Baskonia went 15-15 in EuroLeague competition last season, skating into the playoffs as a seventh-seed but failing to reach the EuroLeague Final Four after losing 83-92 ti CSKA on April 26.
“[The Celtics] wanted me for the playoffs, but it’s not easy to integrate on such a team,” Poirier admitted. “I think it was better for me to wait, do the training camp, preseason and start the new season with them.”
Integration is the key word here, even though Poirier wasn’t assured a spot in the rotation or even spot minutes as a situational big.
With the fragility of the locker room, signing Poirier may have been perceived as a slight by rookie Robert Williams III or even Theis; players that may not be the most important Celtics but whose moods still effect the team’s locker room dynamic. As far as basketball is concerned, strictly between the lines, Poirier would have needed a crash course in the team’s scheme while needing to adjust to the speed and athleticism of the NBA.
Whether Poirier would have made a difference against the Indiana Pacers or Milwaukee Bucks can’t be proven but it’s almost certain that he wouldn’t have been the difference-maker the team needed in the postseason. Nonetheless, with Horford and Baynes both gone, Poirier appears to be in prime position to replace the Aussie anchor.
He’s far more athletic than Baynes but may be just as physical and talented as a defender, so the Celtics could be better off with him in the lineup than they were with a player who started 85 games for Boston over the past two seasons. Even if his arrival is a little later than they desired.
