The Boston Celtics look like one of the few legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference at the start of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. They handled business in their first two games against the Brooklyn Nets, protecting the field while heading to Brooklyn with a 2-0 series lead.
The team has a great young duo around which they are building the roster of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Although there has been speculation that they may possibly be looking to break up this pairing, now is not the time for that to happen. Instead, they must keep improving things around them.
The Celtics are successful because they have a stingy defense and people bought into Ime Udoka’s game plan offensively. This allowed them to finish second in the Eastern Conference.
Wherever this year’s playoffs take them, Celtic should look to continue to build on that foundation. More than Launderer’s reportthey’ve compiled a list of three free agents the Celtics should consider targeting.
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One of them is already on Sam Hauser’s list. He’s someone the team should consider keeping for his 3-point shooting ability. Shooting costs a lot of money, look at the deal Duncan Robinson got from the Miami Heat, so keeping a player as affordable as Houser makes a lot of sense.
If the team doesn’t want to upset the chemistry too much, another type of glue would be a smart addition. Kyle Anderson has been mentioned as such and he would fill this role perfectly. He does a bit of everything, filling many roles for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Anderson is a versatile defender, capable of locking down wing and frontcourt spots. In a pinch, he can also provide a few minutes of small-ball centering. Offensively, he’s worked hard to improve his point shooting and is a strong secondary playmaker.
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Sticking with the gambling theme, third on the list of potential candidates was Ricky Rubio. The backup playmaker has been a bit of a problem for the Celtics and Rubio would fill that role perfectly.
He had a great season with the Cleveland Cavaliers before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in December. This injury probably cost him millions of dollars, which Boston can profit from.
If Rubio settles for a one-year contract worth the mid-level exception, similar to what Dennis Schroder signed, in the 2021 offseason, the Celtics would be in business when it comes to wooing Rubio and to include it in the salary cap.
