The Battle For The Eastern Conference Just Got A Lot More Interesting
News
Following some brief drama, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics came to terms on their blockbuster deal on Aug. 30. The assets exchanged will alter the way the franchises look both this season and beyond.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Isaiah Thomas, once the final pick (60th overall) in the 2011 NBA draft, is penciled in as the projected starter for the Cavs, who have been to three straight NBA Finals. If he’s healthy, he will replace the departing Kyrie Irving, the first overall pick in 2011, who will take over the starting point guard spot for the Celtics, who had the best record in the Eastern Conference in 2017.
Last season, both point guards had career highs in scoring, with Thomas averaging 28.9 points per game (76 games played) to Irving’s 25.2 (72 games played).
In Boston, the Celtics relied heavily upon Thomas as their primary scoring option. In Cleveland, Thomas will have LeBron James and won’t be expected to lead the team in scoring. He will, however, provide the Cavs with a consistent threat, especially in the fourth quarter of big games.
Thomas, who averaged 5.9 assists per game last season, is a slightly better facilitator than Irving, who averaged just 5.8. He gives Cleveland exactly what it’s looking for, a way to get the ball to James.
In Boston, shooting guard Avery Bradley, who had 16.3 points per game, was the second leading scorer to Thomas. With James and Kevin Love, who averaged 26.4 and 19 points respectively, Thomas could see his assist numbers expand exponentially, even if his point production falls.
In addition to acquiring Thomas, the Cavs also added forward Jae Crowder from the Celtics. Last season was Crowder’s second as a full-time starter, and saw the 26, now 27-year-old, hit career highs in field goal percentage (46.3%), three-point percentage (39.8%), rebounds per game (5.8) and assists per game (2.2). Crowder, who also posted 13.9 points per game, provides the Cavs with something they’ve needed for a long time, a player who can reliably spell James.
With James on the court last season, the Cavaliers produced an offensive rating of 118.4, limiting opponent’s offensive ratings to just 110. Without James on the court, the team’s offensive rating plummeted to 103.7, while their opponent’s offensive ratings rose to 112.3. James, who averaged a team-high 37.8 minutes per game in 2017, will finally have a capable backup in Crowder, whose three-point scoring and post play give him the versatility to play multiple roles on the court.
Croatian center Ante Žižić was another part of the package sent to Cleveland. Žižić was taken by the Celtics with the 23rd overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. The 20-year-old seven-footer provides the Cavs with an intriguing prospect they can develop over time, while starter Tristan Thompson and backup Edy Tavares man the center spot this season.
The final, and perhaps most crucial, assets the Cavs acquired in the trade were two draft picks. The first, a spoil from another Celtics megadeal, was the Brooklyn Nets’ unprotected 2018 first round pick. The Nets finished in 30th (last) in the NBA in 2017, and spent the offseason making moves to, quite frankly, get worse, sending star center Brook Lopez to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for point guard D’Angelo Russell and center Timofey Mozgov.
The Nets are expected to finish near the bottom of the league again this year, which would give the Cavs a very high draft pick. The pick would be critical in what looks to be another tough offseason in Cleveland next season, as there have been rumors that James is looking to move on (again).
The second pick the Cavs acquired (Miami’s 2020 second round pick) also has potential to be substantial, even if it doesn’t immediately appear that way. Both Thomas and Crowder are former second-round picks so, if used correctly, the Cavs could have potentially received another future starter.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics will look almost entirely different this season. Center Al Horford is the lone remaining starter on the former No. 1 seed in the East. Thomas and Crowder are gone, Bradley was sent to the Detroit Pistons for Marcus Morris, and power forward Amir Johnson opted to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason.
Bradley, Crowder and Thomas were three of the Celtics top four scorers in 2017, averaging a combined total of 59.1 points and accounting for almost 55% of the Celtics’ team average of 108 points per game (54.7%). Only Thomas, however, averaged over 20 points last season (28.9).
Newcomers Irving and Gordon Hayward each averaged over 20 points per game last year. Irving scored 25.2 points per game, and Hayward put in 21.9 with the Utah Jazz.
For the Celtics this season, Irving is a virtual lock to start at point guard, Hayward at small forward and Horford at center. The power forward position will likely be manned by forward Marcus Morris. Morris averaged 14 points in 79 starts with the Detroit Pistons last season, splitting time at both forward positions. Morris is also the only candidate with NBA experience.
Jayson Tatum, selected with the third overall pick in this year’s draft, could also see time at power forward this season. The rookie impressed during the 2017 NBA Summer League averaging 18.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, and was named to the All-Summer League Second Team.
Guershon Yabusele, taken 16th overall in the 2016 draft and Semi Ojeleye, taken 37th overall the 2017 draft, will likely both see time at power forward as well. Yabusele spent much of the past year overseas with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association. He was named a CBA all-star after averaging 20.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game in 43 games. Following his stint with the Sharks, Yabusele signed with the Celtics G-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws.
Ojeleye began his collegiate career with the Duke Blue Devils, but spent his last season with the Southern Methodist University Mustangs. With SMU, Ojeleye averaged 18.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, which earned him American Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors.
It would be unlikely for Tatum, Yabusele, or Ojeleye to be named the starter over Morris, but they could all provide quality minutes off the bench.
The biggest concern for the Celtics will most likely be finding an heir to Avery Bradley. The good news is that they have some great candidates already on their roster.
Marcus Smart, the sixth overall pick in 2014, is a defensive-minded point guard who averaged 10.6 points (79 games played) last season and could fill the void left by Bradley, who was an elite defender. In Game 3 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals, Smart started in place of an injured Isaiah Thomas, scoring 27 points on seven three-pointers and rallying the Celtics back from a 21-point deficit to defeat the Cavs 111-108. While the Celtics went on to lose the series in five games, the strong showing by Smart could give him the first crack at a starting role.
Former third overall pick Jaylen Brown (2016) is another strong possibility to start at shooting guard. In his rookie season, Brown was given time at both the small forward and the shooting guard positions. He averaged just 6.6 points (78 games played), but showed starting potential.
Point guard Terry Rozier, the 16th pick in 2015, is the dark horse candidate of the group. Rozier averaged just 5.5 points (74 games played) in 2017, but showed talent as a strong perimeter defender. At only 6’2” Rozier lacks the preferred size of a shooting guard, though it would not be unprecedented for a player of that size to start at the position.
Opinion
After securing the top two seeds in the East last season, the Celtics and the Cavs look like favorites to repeat. The Celtics will need time to build chemistry among their four new starters, but have the talent to defend their position as the top seed.
Isaiah Thomas’ health held up the trade, which was first announced on Aug. 22, for a week. The Cavs, upon examining the 28-year-old, grew concerned about a hip injury Thomas has. The injury could, reportedly, keep Thomas out of commission until the All-Star break.
This Cleveland team, regardless of Thomas’ health, could be its best since LeBron’s return. As well as Kevin Durant played in the Finals for the Golden State Warriors last season, it was the Warriors’ rotational players who arguably won the series. The Cavs’ bench looked lifeless at the end of the last season, blowing several leads. But, with the acquisitions of Crowder and free agent Derrick Rose, the rotation should be much more equipped to stay competitive, especially as the season drags on.
Neither team will miss their former star point guards as much as some believe, however, the Celtics could have a hard time replacing the staunch defense of Bradley, while the Cavs will surely appreciate having Crowder rotate off the bench.
The Cavs and Celtics open the 2017-2018 season on Tuesday, Oct. 17, in Cleveland.
