The Celtics are a little under two weeks away from opening training camp as they’ll look different next season. While Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are still the team’s headliners, the C’s shipped their emotional leader in Marcus Smart in a stunning trade.
In Smart’s place is big man Kristaps Porzingis, who’s coming off a career-best season in Washington. How Porzingis fits into Boston’s scheme — along with Tatum and Brown — will be crucial for the Celtics early in the season and beyond.
But beyond Porzingis’ impact, Smart’s absence will be an adjustment. There’s the off-court impact as Smart often took the leadership mantle; Brown and Tatum appear to be the natural successors there to be more vocal. On the court, the Celtics moved their starting point guard.
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Where the C’s go from here is a big question mark. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla already confirmed Derrick White will be the starting point guard. That should come as no surprise. He was a key rotation player for the C’s, and he showed off what he can do with more minutes when he was the Eastern Conference Player of the Week last February.
Beyond White, there are unknowns. It’s been well-documented Malcolm Brogdon was not happy about nearly being in the original Porzingis deal that would’ve had him sent to the Clippers. It’s unclear how he feels about the trade rumors heading into camp, but that’s not the only mystery when it comes to Brogdon.
Brogdon hurt his forearm during the East Finals against the Heat. The Celtics have publicly said they’re not worried about Brogdon’s availability come camp, but his health is something to keep an eye on. Brogdon has been injury prone throughout his career to begin with, as well. The C’s were allowed to be conservative with his minutes last season because they were so deep at point guard. But with Smart gone, they lose some of that margin for error during the regular season.
Then there’s Payton Pritchard, who’s slated to be the third point guard on the C’s roster. He was buried on the depth chart over the past couple seasons after coming on strong as a rookie during the pandemic. Pritchard was vocal during the trade deadline last season about wanting to be moved for more opportunity. He also seemed like a prime candidate to be moved this summer.
Instead, Smart is gone and Pritchard is slated to earn more minutes. He’s in the last season of his rookie deal, so it’s an important season before he hits restricted free agency. While Pritchard has his limitations because of his size, he’s shown he can be a nice contributor off the bench.
It’ll be interesting to watch how the guard rotation unfolds during training camp. If there are injuries or absences, it’ll force the Celtics to adjust. Of the guards, they have guys like Svi Mykhailuk and Dalano Banton as other options on the roster. Tatum and Brown also figure to have the ball more in their hands with Smart gone.
All those questions will be figured out in camp and beyond. But the C’s will certainly look different this fall.
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