Here are five thoughts on the Celtics:
▪ Let’s have a moment of silence for Celtics lottery picks. Thanks to Danny Ainge’s shrewd maneuvering, Boston has had lottery choices in four of the last five years despite making the playoffs each season.
But now the cupboard is bare, at least temporarily. The Grizzlies’ first-round pick, No. 14 overall, will be conveyed to Boston this year. It was the last true shiny asset left in the treasure chest.
On one hand, the Celtics were fortunate that the Grizzlies slipped out of the No. 8 playoff spot, dropping them from the 17th overall pick. But within the Celtics organization there was once hope that this choice would turn into a true jewel if it became unprotected in 2021. The Grizzlies were one of the league’s surprise teams this season, just like the Kings were last year, when they ended up shipping the 14th overall pick to Boston.
It’s hard to be upset about extra lottery picks, but this is an instance in which the value of both choices peaked when anything was possible. Hindsight is 20/20, of course.
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Regardless, the Celtics now own the 14th, 26th, and 30th picks in this year’s draft. They won’t add three players to the roster, so they’ll have plenty of options, and don’t be surprised if they end up kicking the can down the road to add another future lottery pick that gives them another swing in the batter’s box.
▪ Coach Brad Stevens generally avoids getting involved with league issues that he doesn’t have much control over, for example when next season will start. When he was asked about the 2020-21 slate being pushed beyond the December start date that has been suggested, he mostly said that the decision would be made by the board of governors and the players’ union.
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But then he took a bit of a stance, which is somewhat unusual for him. NBPA president Michele Roberts has indicated recently that the league might have to play next season in a bubble, too. Stevens has embraced this unusual setup so far, but he pushed strongly — to no avail — for coaches’ families to be allowed in Orlando. And on Friday he gave a similar nudge related to the possibility of once again being separated for an extended time.
“I don’t know anything about start times and all that other stuff,” he said. “I do know that whatever we choose to do, I hope we can include a little bit more time at home with loved ones in some fashion.”
The bubble has been a success so far, but the reality is that it’s ultimately a very small segment of the season and doesn’t even involve the entire league. Within about a week, there will be just eight teams left. The league will likely push the start date of next season back as far as it can in order to potentially bring fans back in some fashion. But if that doesn’t work, there will be more resistance to a full-season bubble than there was for this shortened one.
▪ The NBA has started releasing its postseason awards. Raptors coach Nick Nurse on Saturday was named the Coach of the Year. We’re not supposed to reveal our full ballots just yet, but I’ll share here where I included the Celtics. I voted Marcus Smart first-team All-Defense, Jayson Tatum third-team All-NBA, and Jaylen Brown received my third-place vote for Most Improved Player.
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▪ Robert Williams was Boston’s most pleasant surprise during the seeding games. The second-year big man, who was sidelined with a hip issue for much of this season, displayed his burst, athleticism, and even a mid-range jump shot, and appeared to perhaps supplant Enes Kanter as the backup center.
But Williams has been used sparingly in this series against the 76ers. He’s played a total of 19 minutes and didn’t play at all in Game 3. He didn’t do anything wrong; it’s just not the best matchup for him. He doesn’t have the size, strength or 3-point shooting to be a good option against 76ers big man Joel Embiid. So Kanter has subbed in for Daniel Theis, and when Embiid sits Stevens has turned to 6-foot-6-inch rookie Grant Williams to play some small-ball center.
It’s worked out quite well so far. The Celtics have outscored Philly by 32.7 points per 100 possessions with Kanter on the floor in this series, and 26.2 points per 100 possessions with Grant Williams on the floor. Those are the two highest net ratings on the team.
If the Celtics face the Raptors in the next round, look for Robert Williams to get more of a shot. Marc Gasol doesn’t overpower anyone in the post anymore, and Serge Ibaka never did.
▪ Grant Williams, by the way, deserves a hat tip for his recent long-range shooting. Williams started this season by missing 25 consecutive 3-pointers. He’s 3 for 3 from beyond the arc in this series.
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Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach.
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From the Grizzlies’ pick to Robert Williams’s absence, five thoughts on the Celtics - The Boston Globe
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