Leading up to this year's NBA draft, no team's name has been heard as often as the Boston Celtics. Even though they had fallen to the 6th pick in the draft, rumors of potential blockbuster trades hastily surrounded the franchise, causing fans everywhere to leap for the joy at the prospect of a potentially shortened rebuild. And why wouldn't they? With the Celtics being the most storied organization in NBA history, it's easy to see why any star player would love to have a chance to play with the team. Add that on with Danny Ainge's killer instinct and readiness to trade anyone and anything to get closer to a championship, and some analysts saw the Celtics making a big move as a sure-fire thing.
But then there was nothing. Not one move. Not one trade. The Celtics surprised their fan base not with a trade this draft day, but by staying put. As soon as the clock hit 00:00 and the Celtics announced that they were selecting Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart, fans began to panic. Not because Smart is necessarily a bad player, but because it became obvious to them that the Ainge was getting ready for a longer rebuild. By drafting the point guard, Celtics fans everywhere wept at the thought that this might just be the catalyst towards trading Rajon Rondo.
It didn't take much longer for that thought to sting even more, as the Celtics selected SG James Young with their 17th pick of the draft. The possibility of Rondo staying a Celtic became to many a distant memory. Fans everywhere in Boston looked down at their #9 jerseys as they watched the draft and mourned, for they knew that the end of an era was among them. The last member of the 2008 championship roster looked as if he was good as gone. But is he?
| Is Celtics star Rajon Rondo in danger of being traded? |
Although it seems ludicrous to think that Rondo would be staying with the Celtics after they drafted two guards, here he is. Is there a way that Danny Ainge sees these guards working together? Would a backcourt of Rondo-Smart-Young work?
Starting off with Marcus Smart, the biggest mistake many people make when evaluating him is looing at him solely as a PG. Although he has the skill-set to become a great PG in the NBA, most execs in the league looked at Smart as more of a combo guard, and a quick observation of his game makes this very easy to agree with.
Offensively Smart might lack the perimeter shot that many SG's have, but the combination of his strength, size and slashing ability allow him to score in ways strickingly similar to NBA guards Dwayne Wade and Eric Gordon. In addition, Smart is coming into the NBA with an already polished post game that would allow him to use his towering stature to back any of his defenders down in the paint.
Defensively Smart is also one of the drafts most highly touted prospects as he has shown, especially in his second year, that he's able to defend any PG or SG that might come into his way. Smart, like Rondo, is also exceptional at rebounding for his position which would make this quite the dynamic backcourt in itself.
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| Smart after he was selected 6th overall by the Celtics in the '14 Draft |
But if he has no jumpshot how would the spacing of a Rondo-Smart backcourt even work? Smart, although he shot inconsistently, has shown flashes that he might actually turn out to be an above average shooter. The two major factors in his Smart's inconsistency have stemmed from his shot selection and his inconsistency in shooting form throughout the course of the season. With a lot of work this summer with the C's some of his shooting kinks might be gone by the start of the season. Avery Bradley's great improvement in his 3pt Shooting this year may only serve as an example of how this team might be able to help him. One would also think that with the best passing PG in the league, Smart would also get many more open shots than he did in Oklahoma, especially working within Brad Steven's malleable offensive system. With all of this in mind, a Rondo-Smart backcourt might not be outlandish at all.
The drafting of James Young, however, poses a much bigger threat to the Rondo's safety
18 year old James Young from Kentucky is definitely on of the drafts more interesting players. A 6'7" guard/forward Young with an wingspan, Young is poised to be much more of a project than Smart is. Although his offensive game is still a work in progress, Young does have one of the better jump shots from his draft class. A deep threat sniper, his ability to spot-up over defenders and shot all around the perimeter makes him dangerous from the get-go, and he still has much space to improve offensively.
| Adam Silver and James Young, the Celtics 17th pick in the draft |
The biggest problem here would be his problems defensively and with his size. The Celtics are very likely to place Young behind Jeff Green this season, and that would require him to fill in a lot more this off-season. He is the third youngest player of this draft class of course, so all of that is very plausible and he might be ready to play SF by the beginning of the season. His defense however, is of much bigger concern. Young lacks the lateral quickness and step to really stay on his man, and lacks many of the defensive instincts that would very soon be required of him.
The Celtics were still tremendously lucky to be able to grab Young at the draft, even though he still has much improving to do. Young's upside is all there and not much will be asked of him this season as he will very likely play only 15 mins behind Green this season as he grows defensively with Brad Stevens and grows more comfortable with the Small Forward position. With that said, it seems unlikely that Young would someone create disaccord within the Celtics backcourt.
So does that mean that Rondo is staying for good?
Sadly no, but trade talks are going to be pushed off until the all-star break this season. The beginning of this season will all be about how well a back court of Rondo and Smart can be. If all goes well this season, and if the Celtics take the step forward of dealing pieces like Avery Bradley and Jeff Green to create cap space, the Celtics might be able to convince Rondo to stay by making a splash in the strong 2015 NBA free agent class to bolster on to the teams already impressive & young core. With players like Roy Hibbert, Marc Gasol, Rudy Gay, Lamarcus Aldridge, and Kevin Love becoming free-agents and with the promising core of Olynyk and Sullinger, it doesn't seem like it would be impossible to make Rondo stay.
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| Rondo gets helped up by his teammates |
And what if talks with Rondo and the Celtics do look bad mid-season? For one, Rondo's trade value will most likely increase this season as it would solidify the fact that Rondo is completely back from his ACL injury (as long as any suitors believe they can sign the Celtic to a long-term deal that is). Secondly, waiting it out until February allows the team to better evaluate it's current assets to more accurately gauge what kind of rebuild this team is heading towards. With a better idea in mind, trading Rondo for the right kind of pieces would become much easier for the Celtics FO and would allow them better plan for the future.
Although the near future of this team and this rebuild might be shrouded at the moment, as Danny Ainge is a man filled with surprises, the fear of losing Rondo is not one to hold so strong to. At least for a couple of months that is.
Do not let this draft fool you Celtic fans... The Rondo era is still not yet over.
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