Ime Udoka warned his gamers. As shut as they received, be ready for a painful summer time.
“It’s going to hurt. It will hurt for a while. Probably that stuff never goes away. I’ve lost one before,” the Celtics coach mentioned after his crew was eradicated within the NBA Finals by Golden State. “That was part of the message. Let it propel us forward, the experience. Growth and progress that we made this season. Obviously, getting to your ultimate goal and fall a few games short is going to hurt. There are a lot of guys in there, very emotional right now.”
Udoka instructed them to come back again higher, and based mostly on how far they received, that may imply championship-ready. With their prime star, Jayson Tatum, heading the checklist, the Celtics got here up quick towards the extra mature, disciplined Warriors. They discovered the onerous method about some very fundamental parts like caring for the ball and boxing out, however one other progress spurt is presumably on the best way.
The postseason grades on this checklist, sadly, are closely influenced by the Celtics’ normal downturn of their Finals loss, when the offense stalled and the errors piled up like cordwood. They had weathered two grueling seven-game collection towards Milwaukee and Miami, with massive highway wins in each collection in addition to a 2-1 begin towards Golden State, just for the underside to fall out of the offense.
As all the time, grades are based mostly on what was anticipated of every participant through the common season and playoffs.
JAYLEN BROWN: A daily season, B postseason. One of the few Celtics — possibly the one one — to be close to the highest of his offensive sport within the Finals, Brown averaged 23.5 factors over six video games, together with 34 in Game 6. As he develops a greater deal with, he’ll proceed to turn into one of many NBA’s premier finishers. But in the mean time, as illustrated by his 10 turnovers during the last two Finals video games, Brown has far more to study taking part in underneath management.
AL HORFORD: A reg., A put up. Horford was ecstatic about his “second chance,” and reached the Finals for the primary time in his prolonged playoff profession. He was excellent within the “OG” position, and in contrast to his first time round in inexperienced, didn’t have to fret a couple of disintegrating locker room. Everything Horford has finished properly match into the 2021-22 Celtics, along with his playmaking and 3-point taking pictures each obvious when the Celtics performed properly. But as stagnation settled in through the Finals, Horford was no higher than anybody else at pulling their Celtics out of their rut. Remarkably ready, on the age of 36, that he was bodily capable of meet the calls for of Ime Udoka’s switching defensive system. His capability to defend the wings helped make the Celtics the hardest defensive unit within the league.
AARON NESMITH: D reg., Inc. put up. Nesmith mentioned that regardless of his banishment to emergency conditions by the top of the season and playoffs, he stays supremely assured in his major asset — a soar shot. It’s not solely Nesmith who claims they all the time fall in apply. Coaches have mentioned the identical. The downside is in-game consistency, the place Nesmith floundered for many of the common season, taking pictures 27% from 3-point vary. The younger wing has boundless power and nice upside as a switchable defensive participant. At the identical time that power generally appears unchanneled. He’s vowed to enhance his sport this summer time, although not essentially in summer time league, the place he has already made two appearances. The resolution to go on Las Vegas labored for Grant Williams, who returned from the summer time of 2021 in higher form with a normal enchancment in all points of his sport. The Celtics, as all the time, want taking pictures. If Nesmith can lastly parlay his excellence in apply into precise game-time alternatives, then they could have a solution for these well-documented depth issues.
PAYTON PRITCHARD: B reg., C put up. One of Brad Stevens’ greatest choices on the commerce deadline was to commerce Dennis Schroder due to his religion in Payton Pritchard as a shooter. The second-year guard gave them depth – particularly within the common season – and survived within the rotation not solely due to his shot-making, however due to his stunning capability to maintain preventing in Ime Udoka’s defensive scheme. As the playoffs wore on, and the matchups grew to become more durable to handle, Pritchard’s taking part in time decreased. He shot 0-for-7 during the last three video games of the Finals.
MARCUS SMART: A reg., B-minus put up. The NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year was there in all his mayhem all through the playoffs, with the Celtics sustaining their defensive commonplace. But like Jayson Tatum and Brown, Smart had a hand within the Celtics’ offensive collapse. Smart has made a lot this season of lastly being given the place to begin guard reins, and he was unable to do a lot to rescue the Celtics once they short-circuited down the stretch towards Golden State. He was unable to maintain the offense from getting hijacked by isolation and stagnation. The Celtics spent much more time ball watching and standing in place towards the Warriors’ protection, and a great chunk of accountability for that falls on the purpose guard.
JAYSON TATUM: A reg., C-minus put up. Tatum was in apparent misery following the Celtics’ Game 6 elimination by the Warriors, hanging his head and speaking even softer than traditional. He had simply scored 13 factors — two within the second half — in Game 6 towards Golden State. Though he had averaged 26 factors over the earlier 4 video games, he additionally shot 32% and piled up 23 turnovers over six Finals video games. Tatum, greater than most, was chargeable for the lax ball safety that doomed the Celtics. Udoka has mentioned Tatum’s subsequent massive step is to turn into a greater playmaker, but when he’s capable of return to the Finals, this Top 5 participant will likely be anticipated to do far more to take his crew excessive. His incessant complaining and politicking for calls, although, received’t get him or his crew there.
DANIEL THEIS: B reg., C put up. The veteran back-up heart’s return was seamless. He gave Udoka one other versatile massive who might change and hit the occasional open jumper. Rob Williams’ rising minutes and the necessity to play extra small ball towards Golden State led to a pointy lower in Theis’ time down the stretch. But he’s a fantastic match for a way the Celtics use him.
DERRICK WHITE: B reg., C-minus put up. As onerous because it was to observe, Derrick White broke down on the rim during the last two video games, taking pictures 1-for-10 within the face of some straightforward scoring alternatives. Not a lot earlier, White had gone on a run following the beginning of his son Hendrix — the so-called “Dad power” — placing collectively a pair of plus-20 scoring performances (22 in Game 6 vs. Miami, 21 in Game 1 vs. Golden State), earlier than the slide started. Concerns about White’s taking pictures will proceed, however he’s been a seamless match for all the pieces Ime Udoka desires. He’s an enormous, tough-guarding level guard each behind and subsequent to Marcus Smart, and was not practically as a lot of an issue as some teammates when it got here to creating dangerous performs down the stretch.
GRANT WILLIAMS: A reg., C put up. Williams misplaced weight final summer time and returned sturdy and cell sufficient to suit into Udoka’s switch-heavy system. He raised his 3-point taking pictures to 41% and his makes an attempt from 2.0 to three.4 per sport. He’s realized to assault close-outs and, certainly, by the top of the season, was forcing opponents to respect him within the corners. He peaked with 27 factors in Game 7 towards Milwaukee, and slowly light from view. Minutes in addition to manufacturing fell during the last three video games. He was additionally a chief offender within the Celtics’ working argument with the officers — a tactic that didn’t serve them properly down the stretch. Williams is eligible for a rookie extension this fall, and based mostly on his play previous to the Finals, anyway, he ought to make some cash as an necessary piece behind an ageing Al Horford.
ROB WILLIAMS: A reg., A put up. Almost as a lot as his All-NBA teammate, Tatum, Williams was transformative for the crew final season, as soon as once more battling harm to play a career-high 61 common season video games. He had late March meniscus surgical procedure, made it again for Game 3 of the primary spherical, and steadily elevated his minutes — with some breaks — and performed the final 10 video games towards Miami and Golden State. The Celtics are elite when Williams is within the lineup. A professional defensive participant of the yr candidate from this level ahead. Also on his technique to turning into essentially the most dynamic lob menace within the NBA. Now comes the summer time, and a serious remedy plan for his knee.
INC.: Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet, Malik Fitts, Juwan Morgan, Matt Ryan, Nik Stauskas, Brodric Thomas.
COACHING: A reg., B-minus put up. Udoka’s resolution to tighten his rotation within the Finals might have gone too far. By the Celtics coach’s personal admission, his crew was fatigued by the top of the collection, dropping three straight video games for the primary time since Dec. 29. His defensive scheming, particularly, was sensible over the primary two rounds towards the likes of Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and by Udoka’s personal estimation, the Celtics defended properly sufficient to win. But his offense shattered into a large number of turnovers and isolation towards a protection that succeeded greater than their very own. The Celtics confirmed an absence of self-discipline and emotional management when strain reached its highest, and that’s on the coach as a lot because the gamers. But he’s constructed the pre-eminent protection within the NBA, and that will likely be their basis. Udoka now has to assist his two younger stars, Tatum and Brown, make their subsequent steps as overpowering skills. They’re not fairly there but.
MANAGEMENT: A. Starting along with his capability to exchange Kemba Walker’s contract with Al Horford, Brad Stevens has hit on just about each transfer this yr. The deadline additions of Derrick White and Daniel Theis — and the understanding of when to chop bait with Dennis Schroder — labored completely down the second half stretch. Stevens’ subsequent problem is how finest to complement who he has by way of commerce or free company. He doesn’t want one other star. He wants scoring depth.
Source: www.bostonherald.com