The Boston Celtics and 21 other teams finishing the 2019-20 NBA season in at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida will need to tap into a limited pool of players if anyone ends up getting injured — or worse, comes down with the coronavirus behind the pandemic.
Teams will be limited to players who have signed with an NBA or G League team this season or last, and any team who decides to go this route will have to keep the player they are replacing out for the rest of the season.
So, with a very deep roster with every slot occupied by a player as good as most of the options they’d be replaced by, the chances of the Celtics dipping their toe in this particular pool is slim, but real.
Should the need arise, it’s possible the position they play and skillset they possess will dictate what the Celtics will be looking for in a replacement.
But, if a player who doesn’t spend much time in the rotation ends up with a high ankle sprain six games into the restart, it might make more sense to replace them with a player possessing skills Boston currently lacks.
And what skill does Boston need more than bench shooting?
To that end, the Celtics Wire put together a shortlist of the best shooters likely available to play in the ‘Orlando bubble’ — and no, Jamal Crawford isn’t among them (the veteran guard recorded just a 33.1 % rate from 3-point range over the last two seasons).
So if not Crawford, then who?
Let’s take a look at the six best options, noting their 3-point percentage at their last stop in the NBA.
Darren Collison – 40.7 % – last with the Indiana Pacers
Collison is almost certain to sit this season out, as he’s already said as much publicly. And if he did come back, it seems likely it would be for one of the Los Angeles teams, which he’s also expressed a preference for.
But if he could somehow be sold on joining the Celtics, he’d be a near-perfect fit as an excellent ballhandler and solid defender as well as a legitimately deadly shot.
Dante Cunningham – 46.2% – last with the San Antonio Spurs
Cunningham connected on 30 of 65 3-point attempts last season with the Spurs, anhile too small a sample size to consider his sizzling percentages from deep reliable, a return to a Spurs-like offense might just keep the treys sinking at a still-dangerous rate.
Cunningham rebounds okay for his size and age, but doesn’t add much other value. Still, he’s one of the better options on the table for a team that needs shooting.
Nik Stauskas – 42.9 % – last with the Cleveland Cavaliers
While Sauce Castillo probably saw a hot streak pump up his 3-point shooting to a new career high with the Cavaliers last season, it’s also likely going to be above his career average of 35.3 % as well.
He isn’t good at much else, but the Celtics wouldn’t be asking much of him in such a role, either.
Jodie Meeks – 44.4 % – last with the Toronto Raptors
Meeks is an intriguing option, also likely possessing slightly inflated numbers from his last stop, an eight-game stint with the Raps.
But he’s a career 37.3 % shot from deep who can score in other ways and has some size on defense, when he tries. The Celtics should definitely consider his services, if the need arises.
Isaiah Thomas – 41.3 % – last with the Washington Wizards
An IT reunion probably won’t happen any other way, but he’s still one of the best 3-point bombers out there even if his deadly first step has taken a beating due to injuries.
His 41.3 3-point percentage is probably a bit inflated as a career 36.4 % shot beyond the arc, but Thomas would be a solid add for bench shooting on a deal that would expire with the season.
Ryan Broekhoff – 39.2 % – last with the Dallas Mavericks
Broekhoff is one of the most surprising names in the pool of available players, a casualty of moves made to make up for the loss of teammate Dwight Powell.
The Melburnian sharpshooter isn’t great at a lot of things, but isn’t bad at most — and for Boston’s interests, is a willing and dangerous shooter.
