From Deep: Are the juggernaut Boston Celtics suddenly standing on shaky ground?

In August, every little thing appeared easy for the Boston Celtics. They have been on observe to enter the season with a agency grasp of their identification, extra firepower and a degree to show after falling brief within the NBA Finals. The one actual query was whether or not they might put their offensive points — turnovers, largely — behind them.

However that was August. September was much less sort.

On Sept. 2, the Celtics introduced that Danilo Gallinari had torn his left ACL whereas taking part in for the Italian nationwide staff. On Sept. 20, ESPN reported that Robert Williams III, who’d undergone left knee surgical procedure six months prior, would have arthroscopic surgical procedure on the identical knee. On Sept. 22, the staff introduced that coach Ime Udoka can be suspended for the 2022-23 season.

Udoka, in keeping with The Athletic, had an intimate relationship with — and allegedly made undesirable feedback towards — a Celtics worker. In a press convention, staff proprietor Wyc Grousbeck mentioned that an impartial investigation revealed a number of violations of staff insurance policies and that no resolution had been made about Udoka’s future past this season.

Joe Mazzulla, a 34-year-old assistant coach who had been promoted to a front-of-bench function within the offseason, is now interim head coach. Williams will likely be sidelined for eight to 12 weeks, in keeping with the staff. Gallinari, who tore the identical ACL in 2013 and missed all of 2013-14 due to it, desires to return earlier than this season is over, in keeping with ESPN.

There are a bunch of latest questions: Can the teaching employees construct on the inspiration it laid final season? How can Boston overcome Williams’ absence with out carrying down Al Horford? Ought to the non permanent fifth starter be Malcolm Brogdon, Grant Williams or Derrick White? What results will that call have on the remainder of the rotation?

The Celtics have championship-caliber expertise, and the 24-year-old Jayson Tatum and 25-year-old Jaylen Brown are nonetheless on upward trajectories. This season goes to look totally different than anyone thought it might, however that does not essentially imply they will take a step backward. It means they’re in a extra sophisticated state of affairs, and so they have some stuff to determine. 

The dialog 

Celtics believer: Do you know that Malcolm Brogdon averaged 19-6-5 in three years with the Pacers and Boston someway received him for Daniel Theis and a late first? I simply want he’d been on the staff towards Warriors — the Celtics can be the champs proper now!

Celtics skeptic: Fascinating place to start out. You do not need to discuss Ime Udoka? What in regards to the accidents to Robert Williams III and Danilo Gallinari? 

Celtics believer: Let’s talk about the stuff that will likely be related within the playoffs, at which level we’ll be used to Joe Mazzulla and have principally forgotten about Gallo. Even when Time Lord solely comes again on the finish of his 8-to-12 week timeline, there will likely be about 4 months left within the common season. Not apprehensive. 

Celtics skeptic: As soon as upon a time, the Celtics had a brand new coach and a few harm points and began the season slowly. They went on a loopy run during the last three months of the common season and appeared superior originally of the playoffs, however finally ran out of fuel. Ring a bell?

Celtics believer: 😬

Celtics skeptic: My level is what occurs within the common season impacts the playoffs. A wholesome Gallinari might have eased the celebs’ scoring burden. Dropping Time Lord exposes a scarcity of frontcourt depth. I do not need to see Al Horford taking part in enormous minutes in October. The person is 36. 

Celtics believer: It has been a tough month for the Celtics, however do not be a prisoner of the second. They have been dominant final season. They know who they’re, so they are not going to start out 18-21 once more no matter what they do with the middle rotation. I am enthusiastic about seeing some smallball, by the best way, whether or not which means Grant Williams on the 5 or the teaching employees getting actually nuts. Why not check out a Sensible-White-Brogdon-Brown-Tatum lineup? 

Celtics skeptic: Necessity is the mom of invention, however all you’ve got invented is a brand new means for Boston to get obliterated on the glass. Typically, unhealthy information is simply unhealthy information — I assumed the Celtics have been the frontrunners within the East a month in the past, however now the Bucks are clearly a safer guess. The 76ers and the Nets are attention-grabbing, too. 

Celtics believer: Milwaukee appeared just like the “protected” guess Within the East this time final 12 months, and other people have been choosing Phoenix Suns to come back out of the West for months as a result of Steph Curry and Draymond Inexperienced missed some regular-season video games. If we all know that some short-term accidents are inevitable, then let’s not overreact to them. The Celtics have insane lineup flexibility and scheme versatility. They’ve a defensive ceiling not like anyone else, possibly ever. They are not simply relying on inner enchancment on offense; they added a high-level playmaker. Hey, do you know Brogdon dunked on LeBron and Kyrie in the identical sport? 

Celtics skeptic: You must cease watching Brogdon highlights. He is good, however he shot 31.2 p.c from deep final 12 months. This isn’t Mr. Ground Spacer, and he isn’t going to have the ball in his arms as a lot as he did in Indiana Pacers. You will in all probability say that he’ll shoot higher in Boston, although that did not occur with Derrick White. 

Celtics believer: Cool, you cherry-picked the worst capturing season of his profession. I can play with stats, too: Within the 5 seasons that preceded the 36 video games Brogdon performed final season, he made 42.8 p.c of his catch-and-shoot 3s. And in 2018-19, the final time he performed on a staff like this, he made 47.5 p.c of his catch-and-shoot 3s for the Bucks. Brogdon is a supremely overqualified sixth man who’s going to make kickout 3s from the Jays and create kickout 3s for them. Inform Mike Miller to be careful as a result of he isn’t going to be the one former Rookie of the 12 months to win Sixth Man of the 12 months for for much longer. 

Celtics skeptic: Good level: Brogdon solely performed 36 video games final 12 months. And since profitable Rookie of the 12 months, Brogdon has missed 34 p.c of his staff’s regular-season video games. I am not relying on him being often accessible for the Celtics, not to mention being within the 6MOY race. Additionally, I can not assist however discover you referenced his catch-and-shoot 3s — possibly he’ll begin making these once more, however I’ve seen defenders go underneath screens towards him as a result of his pull-up numbers are sort of ugly. That is an issue if he is purported to be the additional playmaker who fixes every little thing. 

Celtics believer: Let me be clear: I might be ok with the Boston’s title probabilities even when it hadn’t managed to improve from Theis to Brogdon. (Once more, wow.) Individuals made enjoyable of Grant Williams when he mentioned that the Warriors have been the extra disciplined staff within the Finals, not the higher one, however he was proper! The Celtics had the collection underneath management earlier than they received all sloppy on the finish of Sport 4, and so they’ve had all summer season to consider what occurred. Tatum’s going to come back again as an MVP candidate and Brown’s going to take one other step as a playmaker. I believe they’ll do some attention-grabbing stuff with Grant because the backup 5 whereas Rob is out, however there are alternatives.  If Blake Griffin can do what he did in Brooklyn in 2021, he is a really perfect signing. Based mostly on summer season league, Mfiondu Kabengele can provide them some vertical spacing. Luke Kornet nonetheless has 3s-and-blocks potential. Noah Vonleh defended Giannis very well a couple of years in the past, which is an effective sufficient purpose to maintain him round. 

Celtics skeptic: Hey, do not disrespect Theis — I might a lot slightly have him than all of those end-of-the-bench guys you are speaking about. It is a disgrace that Stevens cannot re-reacquire him until he goes to a different staff first. However sure, I agree with you: If Tatum has an MVP-caliber season, Brown makes one other leap, Brogdon is the very best reserve within the league, Horford’s physique holds up, the Grant-at-5 lineup is superior, Time Lord is totally wholesome all through the playoffs, the teaching employees would not miss a beat with out Udoka and the entrance workplace has struck gold with one of many scrap-heap bigs, then Boston is completely on observe for Banner 18. That looks as if plenty of ifs to me, however possibly I am only a prisoner of the second.

The curiosity: Mfiondu Kabengele

Kabengele was so good in Vegas that Celtics summer season league coach Ben Sullivan described him as “phenomenal” twice in 5 sentences. In these 5 video games, he had sufficient highlights for the NBA’s YouTube account to submit a five-minute reel:

The numbers have been spectacular — 14.8 factors, 8.2 rebounds, 2.2 blocks in 24.5 minutes — and never all that totally different on a per-minute foundation from what Kabengele did for the G League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers final season. The 25-year-old huge man, drafted No. 27 in 2019, might give Boston some vertical spacing in Robert Williams III’s absence.

However he isn’t only a rim runner. Kabengele shot 33-for-76 (43.4 p.c) from 3-point vary with the Vipers, and he went 6-for-15 from deep in summer season league. He is signed to a two-way contract and should present that he can work in Boston’s defensive system, however there are minutes accessible for somebody along with his talent set. 

Another factor

Grant Williams mentioned on a podcast that he would not know if he’d take anyone within the league over Sam Hauser in a capturing competitors. It was a fairly daring factor to say, contemplating the podcast was hosted by Duncan Robinson. Hauser shot 43.9 p.c from deep in school and a mixed 76-for-184 (41.3 p.c) with the Celtics and their G League staff final season.