The Celtics winning streak to begin the season came to a halt Wednesday night in Indiana but there are plenty of things to be excited about with the defending champions to begin the year. With turmoil hitting other key teams in the East let’s talk trades along with a couple of bench questions in this week’s mailbag. If you have questions about the Celtics or NBA, email brobb@masslive.com or tweet @briantrobb
You know this question is going to start coming and driving you crazy week after week – if Giannis is unhappy, and Milwaukee starts making calls, do the Celtics hang up on a JB-Giannis swap? My two cents: JB is an incredible person and player, improves every year, and his skill set (ie can shoot) will age well. Giannis on the other hand is built on insane athleticism and his body has already seen some wear and tear; if that athleticism fades or falters, his impact plummets. — Mike R
It is truly wild the amount of rumors that have emerged quickly about Giannis this week after a 1-4 start for the Bucks. The guy signed a supermax extension last summer and is under team control for two more seasons so I really don’t see any scenario where he is moved this year. The Bucks are going to see things out with him and Damian Lillard and if it’s another ugly exit in the postseason, all bets are off at that point.
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In regards to a JB for Giannis hypothetical, I think a lot of it would come down to the Celtics side of where this team finishes this year. It wouldn’t make a lot of sense to consider breaking up an NBA title team or Eastern Conference finalist in back-to-back years. In all honesty, it’s not a deal that’s worth considering from Boston’s perspective though since it would never be offered in the first place. The Bucks would not be looking to take back a supermax contract if Antetokounmpo is forcing his way out. That franchise would need a full reset in that scenario rather than taking back another pricy star in their late 20s. How exactly Giannis ages over the long term will be a fascinating subplot for wherever he lands next. I’m not sold it will be anymore in the next year or two though just yet.
When are they going to start Big Korn, who has never lost a game as a starter? Why did they miss out on an opportunity to go 82-0? — KornHub
Nice to see Luke’s fan club making their entrance into the mailbag. While it’s been another strong start to the year for Luke particularly on the offensive glass, I would like to see a bit of a better finishing touch around the rim since 41.7 percent shooting isn’t going to cut it. He’s also been looking to pass a little bit too much in those spots, which speaks to his struggles finishing around the rim to begin the year. The seven-footer may also be getting some competition for minutes soon if Neemias Queta keeps up his production level that we saw in Indiana on Wednesday night. Either way, Kornet stands in line to get a start this week in Charlotte on the back-to-back and keep his winning streak as a starter alive.
Last night Pritchard played more minutes than Holiday. Could we see Pritchard become the starter as he gets more confidence and Holiday ages? — Paul D
I don’t think we are ever going to see Pritchard starting over Jrue Holiday while both remain in Boston. However, nights where Joe Mazzulla rides with a hot Pritchard over Holiday could be on the rise this year. The 34-year-old Holiday has a lot of miles on those tires and the Celtics training staff would probably love to see his minutes dip below 30 per game on the year for the first time in his career since his rookie season.
The Celtics obviously don’t want to cost themselves games in the win column in order to do that but that’s where Pritchard comes in as a viable alternative. He has shown himself capable of handling a heavier load scoring-wise and even being a valuable contributor in crunch time. On nights when Holiday is struggling or Pritchard is rolling, Mazzulla will likely opt to give the veteran guard some rest in order to keep him fresher for when the Celtics need him most.
This type of tactic also has the dual benefit of boosting Pritchard’s confidence and potentially stock overall around the league. Pritchard is a huge luxury for Boston to have off the bench and it only makes sense for them to maximize him, particularly when he’s looking like this.
