The Boston Celtics may need to work on their frontcourt a bit to compete at the highest level, and that growth may come in the offseason with a new prospect or perhaps a signing around the margins.
If you ask team president Danny Ainge though, there’s plenty to be happy about the bigs on the roster already.
Time Lord in particular — otherwise known as as Robert Williams III — got a lot of praise from the Celtics head honcho at his end-of-season press conference held Thursday morning.
“I think that this is Robert’s second year, and he spent a lot of time injured, which has limited his development, unfortunately” related Ainge. “I feel like he’s getting healthy.
Should Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens be on the hot seat? https://t.co/0TOHBHZysv via @thecelticswire
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 30, 2020
“We feel that his time in the bubble was huge, just being around the coaches and having fewer distractions,” explained the Celtics president.
“He was really improving; he played really well in a lot of the games. We’re very excited about Robert’s future and in what he can be, but it is hard to find franchise bigs, and that’s always been the case. But there’s a lot of big guys … that can play, and like I said Daniel [Theis], Robert, and Enes [Kanter] outplayed opposing big men often throughout the course of this year.”
“I’m grateful for them,” added Ainge.
Celtics’ Danny Ainge sheds light on draft plans, but mum on free agents https://t.co/LLM1U0KIq5
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) October 1, 2020
The Celtics probably do need to add a defensive big man with some heft and mobility in the offseason, given the trouble that players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid and Bam Adebayo gave Boston this season.
And while the former Celtic shooting guard is right to note how successful the “center-by-committee” approach was in a season full of misinformed trade proposals for Boston’s frontcourt, the Celtics need to find an answer for that sort of player to achieve their goals of winning Banner 18.
With three first-round picks in this draft alone and plenty of young prospects on the roster, Ainge is in a solid position to solve such a problem going forward — a ‘problem’ much of the league would love to have.
