Once the Boston Celtics‘ President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens let it be known that the ball club was on the hunt for a big wing, the consensus that the Celtics need some help in their frontcourt rotation took a hit.
And so far this season, for the most part, the backup options after star big man Kristaps Porzingis and veteran forward Al Horford has held up. Luke Kornet has played much better than he was playing early in the season, and reserve forward Oshae Brissett and two way big man Neemias Queta have added real help in their more limited run.
But not everyone agrees that the Celtics are set with their bigs, leading Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley to weigh in.
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“Luke Kornet has held his own as one of Boston’s rotation regulars (this) season,” writes Buckley.
“The Celtics still may not trust him to handle a significant role in the postseason. With a single injury, though, Kornet could be called upon to do just that. And, while we’ll knock on all the wood in arm’s reach to hopefully avoid jinxing anything, let’s be honest: It’s not like an injury to one of the two bigs ahead of him would be remotely shocking.”
“Kristaps Porzingis has a worrisome injury history, particularly for someone his size,” adds the B/R analyst.
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“Al Horford thankfully hasn’t had too many tussles with the injury bug during his career, but it’s fair to wonder whether he’ll keep holding up the closer he gets to his 38th birthday,” notes Buckley.
“The Celtics could easily find themselves without one or even both of Porzingis and Horford over the course of the playoffs. They should prepare for that possibility now by finding a more serviceable option than Kornet.”
Boston could split the difference with a bigger wing able to play some 5, and if we are being honest, this is probably the move. But finding a starting quality big better than Kornet that the Celtics could fit into their $6.2 traded player exception won’t be an easy task.
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— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) January 16, 2024
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