Celtics basketball is back!!! With the defending champs set to play their first preseason game this week against the Denver Nuggets, here is what you may have missed in the offseason.
Boston Drafts Two New Prospects
The Celtics drafted guard Baylor Scheierman (pictured above) out of Creighton with the 30th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Scheierman has a fantastic Senior season for the Bluejays, posting 18.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. He shot 45.6% from the field and 37.9% from three, both remarkable benchmarks for a college player. Scheierman is a prospect that could contribute to this Celtics team right away if they need him to, with his proven scoring ability and exceptional rebounding ability for a guard.
The Celtics also drafted forward Anton Watson with the 54th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The Gonzaga alum also had a strong senior year, producing a solid 14.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. He shot 59% from the field and 43.9% shooting. Watson is still a little unpolished, but with the proper development, can develop into a very solid 3-and-D style bigman for Boston.
Both rookies might have difficulty seeing the court throughout the start of 2024 due to the abundance of talent on the roster, however, do not be surprised if we see them at some point this season.
Offseason Moves
The biggest point of emphasis GM Brad Stevens wanted to make during the offseason was bringing back everyone from last year, and running the roster back for another season. Stevens did exactly that, signing Xavier Tillman (1yr/2.2mil), Luke Kornet (2yr/4.5mil), Sam Houser (4yr/45mil), Derrick White (4yr/125mil), and Jayson Tatum (5yr/313mil) to contract extensions.
In addition, the Celtics made one out-of-team offseason addition, signing guard Lonnie Walker IV (pictured above)to a one-year contract worth 2.6 million dollars. Walker is a very good player, providing much-needed depth to this Celtics roster that is not getting any younger. Walker should contribute right away, giving Boston a shot creator and above-average defender off the bench.
Porziņģis Injury
The biggest question mark for the Celtics going into the 2024-2025 season is the health status of their star center Kristaps Porziņģis. Porziņģis suffered a rare ankle injury called medial retinaculum in the first round of the 2024 playoffs last year. Though doing all he can to play through it, Porziņģis missed significant time in the playoffs, and is planning on missing, at least, the start of this season. It has been reported that Porziņģis' target return is sometime in December barring any setback, but the exact date of when Porziņģis will return is still unknown.
Stay tuned for more NBA content, and be sure to check out fansonlysportz.com for more sports media content posted daily.
Catch you next time!
-Matt Hylen
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