The Boston Celtics are obvious contenders. Boston has the NBA’s fourth-best record and has recently welcomed back into the rotation a six-time All-Star (a guy named Jayson Tatum), who has looked way further along than anyone in the basketball world expected.
However, this Celtics team is far from perfect. And on Thursday, Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale pointed out a “fatal flaw” of Boston’s that might become a problem as the Celts go for their NBA-leading 19th banner as a franchise.
Favale idenfitied Boston’s major flaw as “frontline size and physicality.”
“Though Neemias Queta is having a fantastic season, Boston’s big rotation is a combination of shallow and slight behind him,” Favale wrote. “This figures to manifest mostly on the glass. The Celtics have a top-10 defensive rebounding rate for the year but are in the bottom 10 when facing the Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks and even the Cleveland Cavaliers.”
“Nikola Vučević adds what could be necessary heft,” Favale continued. “His minutes also come with trade-offs elsewhere at the defensive end, and the brief stints he’s logged alongside Queta haven’t gone well.”
What Favale didn’t mention was that Vucevic is out for the next few weeks as he continues to recover from a fractured finger. Meanwhile, the Celts signed center Charles Bassey to a 10-day contract this week.
Keep an eye on gifted center Amari Williams, as well, if Boston runs into the frontcourt depth problems that Favale was keen to recognize.
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