Free Agency, Squad and Schedule NBA

While waiting for the opening of the regular season on October 18, We Sport offers you an overview of the thirty franchises that will compete for the title in the NBA. Today, focus on Boston Celtics.

The record of the Boston Celtics last season

The 2021/2022 NBA season was the first of the Ime Udoka era on the Celtics bench, who took over from Brad Stevens, past General Manager of the Franchise. After a very sluggish start to the season, the Boston Celtics stepped on the accelerator after the All-Star Break. 10^th at the time of the cut, the Celtics flew through the second half of the 2021/2022 season to finally finish in second place in the Eastern Conference with a final record of 51 wins for 31 losses, which allowed them to win the division Atlantic. If the Jaylen Brown – Jayson Tatum duo was still in question after a difficult first few months, the rest of the season silenced many critics. With a Jay-T in MVP mode (26.9 pts, 8.0 rebounds and 4.4 ast), a perfect J.Brown in his role as lieutenant (23.6 pts, 6.1 rebounds and 3.5 ast ) and the best defender of the season Marcus Smart, Boston arrived launched for the post-season to walk in the footsteps of their ancestors.

The playoff campaign would prove to be successful, with a smooth first round against the Brooklyn Nets of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant (4-0), where the collective was able to gain the upper hand over individuals. In the conference semi-finals, the reigning NBA champions, the Milwaukee Bucks of Giannis Antetokounmpo, presented themselves on the road to the Celtics. In a tense series from start to finish, Boston had shown character by winning in 7 games after being down 3-2. In the conference final, the leader of the East, the Miami Heat, suffered the lightning of the Celtics. Yet led 1-0 then 2-1, Boston once again showed mental strength to get the NBA Finals in a game 7 disputed in Florida and at the end of the suspense. A qualification that would oppose them to the Golden State Warriors of Stephen Curry. The step may be too high for the Celtics who were discovering this level of competition. If Boston was still in the lead after 3 games, and with the hand on game 4, the experience of the Warriors made the difference, to ultimately win in 6 games. An experience that would make the Boston Celtics grow!

[51–31]2^e of the Conference East, beaten in finales NBA by the Golden State Warriors (2-4)

La Free Agency

This loss in the 2022 NBA Finals after leading 2-1 showed that the Boston Celtics were not far from snagging the title and that a few touch-ups could allow them to go and clinch an 18^th champion banner. For this, Brad Stevens and Ime Udoka have achieved a great coup with the arrival of Pacers point guard Malcolm Brogdon (rookie of the year 2017) in return for Daniel Theis, Aaron Nesmith, Nik Stauskas, Juwan Morgan and Malik Fitts. Then, it’s the arrival in thenumber of C’s of the Italian Danilo Gallinari, with a contract of 13 million dollars over 2 years, coming from the Hawks of Atlanta which comes to reinforce the franchise of Massachusetts. A rookie unfortunately who will not see the floor of TD Garden this season, after a serious knee injury during qualifying for the world with his selection. Very bad news for the player but also for the Celtics, who were betting a lot on Gallo. To compensate for this loss, the C’s hired Blake Griffin for the 2022/2023 season. The former Nets player is coming out of a mixed exercise with Brooklyn and will want to revive and bring his energy. Boston also brought in Juwan Morgan and extended Luke Kornet this offseason.

At the draft level, the Celtics did not have many choices. With pick 53, the Celtics selected point guard JD Davison from the University of Alabama. Sent to the G-League, he should make his mark in the lower league and make a few round trips during the 2022/2023 season.

Arrivals: Danilo Gallinari (Spurs), Malcolm Brogdon (Pacers), Blake Griffin (Nets), John Morgan (Raptors)

Departures: Daniel Theis, Aaron Nesmith, Nick Stauskas, John Morgan et Malik Fitts (Pacers)

Extensions: Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet

Draft : JD Davison (53^e choiceAlabama),

Boston Celtics 2022/2023 squad

Leaders: Marcus Smart, Malcolm Brogdon, Payton Pritchard, JD Davison (TW)

Rears: Jaylen Brown, Derrick White

Wingers: Sam Hauser, Jayson Tatum

Power forwards: Blake Griffin, Danilo Gallinari, Al Horford, Mfiondu Kabengele (TW), Grant Williams

Pivots : Luke Kornet, Robert Williams

Coach : Joe Mazulla

[TW = two-way contract]

NB: During the off-season, each franchise is authorized to have up to twenty players in its workforce. When the regular season begins, said numbers will have to be reduced to fifteen players, to which two two-way contracts may be added.

Ambitions and ranking

NBA finalists last season, the Boston Celtics will only aim for the title for this new campaign. With a second half of the season where the Celtics dominated their subject, both regular and post-season, Boston showed that their Tatum – Brown duo could work. With the experience of Al Horford, the progression of Robert Williams in pivot, the aggressiveness of Marcus Smart in defense, Boston already had a good framework on which to start again. The addition of Malcolm Brogdon will be a big plus as the address of the former Pacers player will bring spacing to the team. If Gallo’s injury necessarily requires rehabilitation, the arrival of Blake Griffin will bring physical and percussion inside. The doubt will come from coaching, where the Ime Udoka affair shook the franchise with a radical decision taken against the latter, a suspension for the entire coming season. It is therefore his assistant, Joe Mazzula, who will take over for the entire 2022/2023 season.

Player to Watch: Joe Mazzula

He is not a player to follow this season with the Celtics, but the new coach, Joe Mazzula, parachuted into this position just a few days before the start of training camp. Aged 34, the former assistant to Ime Udoka does not have similar experience in this position (given his young age, this may seem normal). Qualified as a calm and thoughtful person, Joe Mazzula arrived in the franchise in 2019 as an assistant to Brad Stevens. If it is still impossible to form an opinion on the style of play proposed by the new coach of the Boston Celtics, no doubt that his every move will be scrutinized!