Mailbag

Marc D'Amico

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BOSTON – What better way to celebrate the second round of the NBA Playoffs than to release a second playoff edition of Celtics Mailbag?

So let’s dive right into it and field your questions about the Eastern Conference Semifinals series between the Celtics and the Raptors. Here we go…

Answer: To me, this answer is simple: move the ball.

The best way to beat a great defense is to move the ball from side to side and to force the defense into multiple rotations. The more rotations, the greater the chance that the defense will slip. The proof is in the pudding from the regular-season series between Boston and Toronto.

Boston went 3-1 in the series while averaging 24.7 assists per game during the wins. That stat includes a resounding 122-100 win during the seeding games which featured 27 assists.

To the contrary, the C’s tallied just 18 assists during their lone loss to Toronto back on Dec. 28. Boston did shoot just 39.7 percent from the field during that game, but that percentage was in part a byproduct of lack of ball movement.

As further evidence, Boston was a perfect 14-0 during the regular season when it dished out at least 27 assists, and it was 20-5 when it tallied at least 25 assists. The C’s averaged just 19 assists against an inferior Philadelphia defense during the first round, so they’ll need to play a different type of offense during this round in order to be successful.

Answer: You’ve got company in asking this question. Kemba Walker recently said after a first-round win by the Celtics, which was fueled by staunch defense down the stretch by Marcus Smart, “I just can’t see how he’s not in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation.”

I spoke to one source from a non-Celtics rival over the weekend who gave some insight into this debate. He stated that rim protection is not only super valuable to teams, but it can also be tracked at high level from a data perspective. There simply isn’t as much information on the impact of perimeter players, which makes it difficult for voters to quantify the defensive impact of a player like Smart.

However, he also suggested that as the league continues to trend smaller and smaller, and teams continue to rely more and more on dominant wings like LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Jayson Tatum, there will inherently be more of a focus on the players who defend those stars at the highest level. That suggestion leaves the door cracked for Smart to sneak into this conversation in the coming years.

Answer: No, thank you for being a follower, Josh! To answer your question, Rob Williams will almost surely have more of a role during this series than he did during the first round. Toronto plays a lot of small ball and, with the exception of Marc Gasol, uses athletic big men at the power forward and center positions. Williams, with his combination of athleticism and length, is a much better defensive matchup against a team like Toronto than he was against Joel Embiid, Al Horford and the 76ers.

Truth be told, Williams deserves an opportunity to play. He was fantastic during the seeding games, averaging 8.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while playing an average of only 10.9 minutes per game. That, folks, is high-level production.

Prepare to see more of Time Lord during this series.

Answer: It doesn’t look like it at the moment, Matt. The C’s, as of now, are running with alternates for all of their road games this series.

Boston is scheduled to wear its Statement black uniforms during Games 1, 2, 5 and 7, which are all of their road games of the series. For their home games, they are scheduled to wear their Icon green uniforms for Game 3, their Association white uniforms for Game 4, and their Icons again for Game 5.

Answer: Fred VanVleet has developed into quite the player after going undrafted out of Wichita State in 2016. He is Toronto’s leading scorer during the postseason with an average of 21.3 points per game, and he shot a ridiculous 55.9 percent from 3-point range during the team’s first-round sweep of Brooklyn.

But – and this is not to take anything away from him – VanVleet is not Kemba Walker.

Kemba Walker is a four-time All-Star who was the starting point guard for the East this season. Walker, who looks healthier than he had all season, is averaging 24.3 points per game during the postseason – and that’s while shooting only 29.6 percent from long range. It’s only up from there.

Both of these players are incredibly impactful for their respective teams. At this moment, however, Walker’s resume and play during the first round give him the edge.

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Celtics Mailbag: Offensive Rhythm, Uniforms, Time Lord and More

BOSTON - Celtics Mailbag is back! We asked you to submit questions on Twitter, and we pulled a bunch of them to answer today. The latest edition of our Mailbag Q&amp;A is below.

Answer: The Celtics have been inside the bubble for more than three weeks now, and while they’re certainly missing their family and friends, they seem to be enjoying their time with one another.

Videos have surfaced of the team doing everything from golfing together, to going on bike rides, to playing beach volleyball, to holding swim races. Something tells us there’s even more fun happening behind closed doors that we haven’t seen yet.

The other positive coming out of the bubble is that the team continues to bond together through important conversations, as Brad Stevens alluded to Wednesday.

“I think the time together has been even more rewarding than usual,” he said, “because I think all of us have probably had even deeper, more connective conversations with regard to race and all that’s going on, maybe even more so than before.”

Answer: In my eyes, this isn’t just a Jayson Tatum question. This is a league-wide question.

I personally think that nearly every player is going to have his “rusty” moments. Some might have those moments at the start of the first game, while others might have them during the following couple of games. It’s impossible to expect every player to look like they’re in mid-season form after practicing for only three weeks and playing in a couple of exhibition games.

The good news for Boston is that it is built to overcome rusty moments by some of its players. The team has plenty of high-end talent that is more than capable of picking up the slack if another key player or two are struggling.

But to answer your original question: not long. I expect Tatum to look like himself from the get-go Friday night, with a few rusty moments mixed in along the way.

Answer: Yes, he will be – at least at the very start. That number will fall between 15-20 minutes for the first game and will likely slowly increase from that point on if Walker doesn’t suffer any setbacks.

It’s promising that Walker is reacting well to an increased workload, as Stevens mentioned following Wednesday’s practice.

“He looked great. He went through the whole practice today,” the coach said. “Today was a hard practice where we really pushed ourselves and did everything without any issues. Was moving great. High spirits.”

And that’s a great lead-in to our next question…

Answer: Yes! For the most part, at least. Walker is the only player who is currently dealing with an injury that will limit his playing time come Friday night. That being said, Stevens has already stated that he doesn’t expect any of his players to log 38 or more minutes during the first game.

Answer: This is an interesting one, because it feels like Langford is now tipping off his second season, which is typically when young players really begin to figure things out in the league. He played well during the team’s final two scrimmage games, scoring nine points during each of the two contests while showing an ability to get to the rim and play through contact. His role, however, will not be to score. It will be to defend.

Langford has the ability to be a lockdown defender. He has a fantastic combination of length, strength, lateral agility and defensive instincts. These are the skills which the Celtics will call upon during the restart of the season, should they need Langford to step in and provide minutes.

Answer: Seeding is no longer important for home-court advantage. It’s now important for matchups throughout the course of a potential playoff run.

As you mentioned, every game is being played at a neutral location. Although the NBA is doing its best to work in crowd noise and provide a home-team atmosphere, there is almost no advantage to being the home team.

With home-court advantage being thrown out the window, what’s most important with regard to seeding is matchups. For example, in the East, Boston would love to get up to the No. 2 seed and avoid a first-round matchup with Miami, Indiana or Philadelphia. In the West, Houston would love to stay in the sixth seed or move up in order to avoid a first-round series with the Clippers.

Answer: Virtual fans are indeed being worked into the arenas inside the bubble. The Celtics have targeted groups such as Season Ticket Members, Wait List Members, Corporate and Community Partners, Group Ticket Leaders and so on to gauge their interest in being virtual fans at Celtics games. Staff and player friends and family have also been offered the opportunity to virtually attend the games.

The one thing you can learn from this answer: if you live in the New England area, there are some great benefits to being a Celtics Season Ticket Member and/or Partner. Members of these groups will almost always have first access to sign up for exclusive experiences such as this one during the NBA’s restart.

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Celtics Mailbag: Virtual Fans, Home Court, Romeo's Role and More

BOSTON – We’re moving closer and closer to Boston’s departure date to Orlando, which is set for July 8. In the meantime, there are plenty of questions surrounding their return to play, and that’s why we opened up the Celtics Mailbag.

Our fans submitted questions through Twitter, and we pulled a chunk of them to answer below. We hope this provides some insight to you as the anticipation for Orlando grows.

Answer: Great question, and one that remains to be answered. NBA teams are not required to submit their rosters for the Orlando bubble until Wednesday, July 1. That’s the point when we’ll have answers on who and who will not fill the 17 roster spots available to the 22 teams heading to Orlando.

Answer: There are two answers to this question: one regarding the seeding games, and one regarding the playoff games. The seeding games will be interesting, as I think Brad Stevens will need to use a longer rotation at the start to ease his top players back into game shape. Likewise, Boston’s reserves also need game action to work some of their rust off. But once the postseason arrives, I expect to see a tight rotation of eight or nine players seeing significant playing time for the C’s. With all of the time off from the hiatus, Boston’s top players, none of whom are more than 30 years old, should be primed for major, major minutes in the postseason.

Answer: Remove the contract talk. That will have zero impact on what we should expect from Hayward. What we should expect is more of the same, which is a hell of a player. Hayward’s shooting this season has been right on par with his All-Star campaign from 2016-17; his true shooting percentage that season was 59.5 percent, and it’s 59.3 percent this season. That’s an outstanding number. He is also having the best rebounding season of his career and is always a reliable playmaker both for himself and for others when the ball is in his hands. He has been a critical piece of Boston’s offensive and defensive success, and I expect that to continue in Orlando.

Answer: This answer might surprise you, but I’m going with four-time All-Star Kemba Walker. We all know how great Walker is and has been for the past five seasons, but he simply wasn’t playing to his standard level since late-January. Starting Jan. 22 and running through the beginning of the NBA hiatus in mid-March, Walker shot just 37.9 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from long range through his final 13 games. The reason behind his struggles was clear: left knee soreness. Beginning Jan. 18, Walker missed 10 games due to that injury, but even when he played, he didn’t always look like himself. Now, after three-plus months of rehab and recovery, expect to see the Walker we’ve all come to know during his All-Star campaigns. It won’t be surprising to see him playing at an All-Star level, but it will be surprising in comparison to how he was playing prior to the hiatus.

Answer: The energy. No question. The Celtics have one of the greatest home-court advantages in the NBA. Their crowd can literally win games by fueling comebacks and critical stretches of game play with overwhelming noise and energy. In Orlando, that advantage will be nonexistent. Now the players will need to fuel their own energy. The good news is that Boston has multiple players, highlighted by Marcus Smart, who are true energy-givers. The type of winning plays for which Smart has become known will be even more important now; they are the replacement for a crowd’s energy.

Answer: There’s a long list, which includes the topic of no crowd that’s outlined above. The players will have only two weeks of “regular season” games before the playoffs begin to shake off the rust that was accumulated over the previous four months. Imagine if the Celtics had to start the postseason on Nov. 7 this season – only two weeks after the original Opening Night. Exactly – that doesn’t sound simple. This is a continuation of the season, but the hiatus lasted as long as - if not longer than - an actual offseason. Players will also be forced to live in isolation from all of their families and friends for at least a month. Even after some family and friends are allowed to join players in Orlando, only a small number of people will be allowed per player. Players will be extremely limited in what they can do in their day-to-day lives, and this will undoubtedly be a difficult adjustment. They’ve never been in this situation before. The challenge of staying in a healthy mental space will be just as significant as the challenge of playing in a  brand-new game environment. These guys know what they’re getting into, but it will still shock their system when games get underway.

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Mailbag: Questions About C's Restart in Orlando

BOSTON - We called on you, Celtics Nation, to submit your burning questions about the upcoming season. You answered the call, and now we've answered your questions.

Let's jump right into the Mailbag and break down some expectations heading into Training Camp, which begins Oct. 1.

ANSWER: I’d put my money on Brad Wanamaker. He was an excellent third guard last season in spotty minutes. He’ll be even better with a more consistent role. Carsen Edwards will need to earn his minutes; Wanamaker already has. In the meantime, Edwards, can serve as a microwave scorer off the bench during offensive droughts. Think of Isaiah Thomas, but in a much smaller role at the start. Lastly, the true backup point guard might very well be Gordon Hayward. He will have the ball in his hands quite a bit this season, and he’s going to be far more of a playmaker than he was during his first campaign back from injury.

ANSWER:  The lineup that has intrigued quite a few people since Summer League has not included Jaylen Brown at center, but instead Grant Williams. Williams would be surrounded by Kemba Walker, Brown, Gordon Hayward and Jayson Tatum. That would be an ultra-small lineup, with no player taller than 6-foot-8, but one with a devastating amount of versatility and skill. I don’t foresee this lineup being used on the regular, but I do believe it will be used every now and then. Also, don’t be surprised if you see some double-big action this season, with Daniel Theis serving as a power forward.

ANSWER:  It’s too early to answer this question. It depends on chemistry builds within the guards and the wings. Remember, there’s a lot that goes into the dynamic of Boston’s top four offensive players. Walker is a brand-new addition. Hayward will play differently now that he’s far closer to his old self on the court. Both Brown and Tatum finally have a full-season opportunity to shoulder more of the offense. If I have to give an answer now, though, I’d say Hayward, simply because he’s now used to coming off the bench after last season, and he and Marcus Smart, another likely reserve, complement each other well.

ANSWER: Those indications are accurate. Hayward has been getting after it at the Auerbach Center all summer long. The Celtics are expecting big things from him this season, and surely, he’s expecting big things from himself. He’s likely to be a far more prolific playmaker this season both for himself and for others, particularly in getting to and finishing at the rim. Remember, this guy was super athletic prior to his injury, and he should be closer to that level this season. He’s going to be a focal point in the offense, as compared to last season when he served more as a facilitator and spot-up shooter.

ANSWER: I’d put Enes Kanter at the front of the line, based upon his scoring and rebounding abilities and the force with which the Celtics pursued him as a free agent. But Daniel Theis isn’t far behind. Theis was in past rotations even when Al Horford and Aron Baynes were both healthy. That tells you what Brad Stevens thinks about him. Rounding out this group would be Robert Williams, who showed growth at Summer League and who will challenge for minutes, and Vincent Poirier, who at the start of training camp will be learning a whole new system and style of play in the NBA. Poierier built a reputation in Europe as a high-level defender and rebounder.

ANSWER:  You’re going to see both. I can’t see Brad Stevens utilizing the same defensive tactics at all times while Kanter is on the floor. We’re likely to see more of an ‘ice’ position from Kanter, which is him dropping back, as you mentioned. But don’t write Kanter’s ability to “show,” or hedge, off just yet. Give him a chance to be coached in this defensive system. He won’t make an All-Defensive team, but he could wind up surprising some people at that end of the court.

ANSWER:  Those are some all-time teams, my friend. But I won’t say no. This version of the Celtics will look far more like the 2018 playoff team than last season's team in this respect, yet with far more firepower. All evidence suggests that this team will bond together like that 2018 playoff team did. The city of Boston will like this team, which is the highest compliment a Boston team can get.

ANSWER: You nailed it with your first suggestion, Danny. It’s free-throw rate. Brown is an elite athlete who should be using that athleticism to put the pressure on his defender at all times. He needs to hit the line more often. Meanwhile, when Tatum was at his best, during the 2018 Playoffs, he was getting to the line an average of 5.1 times per game. In comparison, he took an average of 2.9 free throws per game last season. With a renewed emphasis on shooting mostly 3s or layups, I think he can approach or surpass 6.0 attempts per game this season, while Brown could hover around 4.0 per game.

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Mailbag: Hayward's Ascent, Small Ball, Centers and... Ubuntu?

BOSTON - I asked Celtics Nation to submit questions using the hashtag #CelticsMailbag on Twitter.  Now I've answered them... well, most of them.

Let's jump right into it. Here's what you all were wondering as the start of training camp approaches.

ANSWER: I don’t think they need to adjust at all, to be honest. I think Gordon Hayward is the one player out of this trio who’s going to need to figure it out, because he’s never played with these guys – the ones who are now a year older, a year wiser and a year more talented. These three – and many other Celtics – can do so many things on the court. I don’t think they need to adjust. I just think they need time to trust each other and learn each others’ tendencies.

ANSWER:  I don’t see this happening. I know Rajon Rondo was named captain while he was playing under Brad Stevens, but in general, Stevens doesn’t believe in captains. He believes in empowering all players to be leaders. He believes in leadership coming from all angles of the locker room. Stevens knows that there are some players – Kyrie Irving and Al Horford, to name two – who will be viewed as the “leaders” of the team, but he also knows that guys like Marcus Smart, Marcus Morris, Aron Baynes, Jaylen Brown and others will hold leadership roles that are just as important in their own ways.

ANSWER:  Much like Brad Stevens, I don’t like to set ceilings on players. Jayson Tatum has already blown through the ceiling that anyone set for him last season. But I will speak to what Williams may expect heading into his rookie season. Boston is deep, with three impact bigs (Al Horford, Aron Baynes, Daniel Theis) in front of him and Marcus Morris set to log plenty of minutes at power forward as well. To me, this is a season for Williams to sit back, to learn from his teammates, to develop through practice and the Maine Red Claws, and to capitalize on any opportunities he gets with the Celtics on the court. He will have opportunities to check into games and showcase his promise as a rim protector and high-flying finisher around the rim.

ANSWER: If the Celtics come out of the gates and blow away the East and are on pace to win 60-plus games by the time All-Star reserves are voted on, I honestly think they could get five players into the game. There are maybe 6-8 surefire All-Stars in the East. The rest of the spots are up for grabs. But my money is on four All-Stars.

ANSWER: What’s that I hear? Is that KG in my ear? ANYTHING IS POSSIBLEEEEEEEEE!

Yes, it’s realistic. The Celtics are arguably the second-most talented team in the league, and two of their players have yet to come close to reaching their prime. That means the Celtics can get even better, while the Warriors are already who they are. Boston also is by far the best matchup in the league against Golden State when it comes to matchups across the board.

ANSWER:  You’ll surely see him this season at some point, but my prediction is that you’ll see him far less frequently. The Celtics have at least five other primary ball handlers, so that takes away the need for Point Horford. As for Point Baynes? No.

ANSWER:  I think it’s conceivable that we could see as many as eight or nine players average between 24-30 minutes per game this season, leaving everyone fresh for the postseason. I think Brad Stevens will start with the Five Leaf Clover (the nickname coined by our Taylor Snow for the Kyrie Irving-Jaylen Brown-Gordon Hayward-Jayson Tatum-Al Horford lineup), and then he’ll rotate lineups the rest of the night that will feature 2-4 of them until they’re all on the court together for crunch time.

ANSWER: (Segue please…) SPEAKING of crunch time, I do foresee Marcus Smart being on the court for a solid chunk of it, but not all of it. It’s hard to keep a player like that – who makes so many winning plays – off the court when a game is hanging in the balance. His crunch-time minutes will be situational, but trust me, he’ll see plenty of them.

ANSWER: First and foremost, Wanamaker should take a look at some of Shane Larkin’s film from last season. Larkin never complained about his playing time, and he always capitalized on it. Wanamaker won’t play the exact same role on this team as Larkin did last season, but he’ll be in a similar situation. He needs to capitalize on his (likely) limited minutes by serving as a spark off the bench who provides staunch defense and great decision-making.

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Mailbag: 5 All-Stars? Captains? Rotations? Warriors Kryptonite?

BOSTON - On Tuesday, we asked you fans out there to submit questions using the hashtag #CelticsMailbag on Twitter.  Today, we pulled several that were submitted and answered them below.

Without further ado, let's get right into it...

ANSWER: First off, Gerald Green is an established off-the-bench contributor in the NBA.  His reclamation project was back in 2011 with the Nets.  He has since had five consecutive quality seasons, averaging 18.1 points per 36 minutes during that span while ranging from a good to very good 3-point shooter.  He’ll come off the bench and provide some shooting, scoring and athleticism for Boston, but don’t count on him to average 15-20 points per game.   He’s in a far different place in his career than David Lee and Gerald Wallace were when they joined the Celtics, as they were in their respective twilights.

ANSWER:  I actually think the Celtics have had an identity since the day they started playing for Brad Stevens.  Their identity is that they will play hard and for each other nearly every night while emphasizing perimeter play and an inverted offense.  The difference now is simply that there is more talent on the roster, so we’ve seen an uptick in the win column.

ANSWER:  There are plenty of options (Kelly Olynyk, Terry Rozier, Jordan Mickey, etc.), but I’m gonna go ahead and give the same name I gave last offseason – Marcus Smart.  He didn’t make the offensive leap I expected him to make last season (he actually regressed), though he did improve as a defender.  I don’t think he’s ever going to be a high-level scorer in the league, but I really think he’s poised to take a big step forward on offense this season.  He has it in him, and this season’s team should give him more space to make plays. FiveThirtyEight’s CARMELO projections agree, as it projects that Smart will more than double his Wins Above Replacement score this season and approach All-Star-level play.

ANSWER: A little early to predict the top eight seeds in order for this coming season, but I guess I’ll give it a go.  The Cavs will be No. 1 and I think the Raptors, who bring back nearly all of their core, will be No. 2 in large part because of their continuity.  The Celts, however, will be right on their heels (and potentially in front of them) while landing in the third seed.  It gets tricky from there, as I think the next four to six teams are all pretty even.  I’ll predict the C’s will face one of the following three teams: Washington, New York or Milwaukee.  And no, they aren’t yet title contenders.

ANSWER:  Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Al Horford and Amir Johnson.

ANSWER:  I don’t think so.  The Celtics won only eight fewer games than Toronto last season, and I expect Toronto’s win total to drop this season.  With Horford in the fold, I think the C’s and Raps are neck-and-neck at No. 2 and No. 3 in the East, which means reaching the Eastern Conference Finals is very realistic.

ANSWER:  To be blunt, the way the current roster is built, it’s going to be tough for any of the Claws to crack the Celtics this season, so I’m going to go with a call-up for someone who played for Maine last season – Jordan Mickey.  I think he has a shot to break into the rotation.

ANSWER:  One already went off.  Al Horford, the second-best free agent this offseason, signed with Boston.

ANSWER: Hard to criticize Stevens at all, but over his first three seasons, I do think this has been his greatest area for potential improvement.  He could establish a lineup and rotations earlier in the season.  I think he will improve here this season because the hierarchy of the roster is much more clear.  The only real question in the starting lineup is whether he goes Horford-Johnson or Horford-Olynyk.  One of those bigs, along with Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown, will also be key rotation players, so rotations will likely be defined much earlier this season than they were during the previous three.  The only real questions linger at the back end of the rotation.

ANSWER:  I think he’ll be regarded as one of the top long-term players, but his numbers won’t stack up against many of his fellow lottery mates simply because he won’t have the same level of opportunity that they will.  I expect every other player chosen in the top eight picks to receive more playing time than Brown, and in turn put up greater numbers, because they are on worse teams with less depth.  Still, Brown will show plenty of upside throughout the season, as he did during Summer League.

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Mailbag: Starters, Stevens, Rook Rankings & More

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BOSTON - It’s been a while since we opened up the Celtics Mailbag.  What better time to do so than late August?

The Celtics roster has taken form and we have a good idea of what the team will look like come Opening Night.  You guys submitted questions about what to expect this coming season, so let’s dive right in.  Please keep in mind that these opinions are mine and do not reflect those of the team’s front office personnel.

ANSWER: Well this isn’t your everyday Mailbag question, is it?  Not gonna lie – I like it.

So, who would I pick for Capture the Flag?  Coincidentally, he shares a name with you, Terry.  My choice is Terry Rozier.

Rozier might be the most athletic guy on this roster.  He’s fast.  He’s quick.  He can jump.  He’s elusive.  And what do I like the most about his potential Capture the Flag skills?  He’s smart and crafty.

I don’t know if any other Celtic would protect my flag, or get the other team’s flag, in more efficient style than Rozier.

ANSWER:  My choice is undoubtedly Marcus Smart.  He really impressed me during Summer League play, and although he suffered a setback with his dislocated fingers, I still believe he’s trending up.  I think his confidence will be sky-high heading into his second season, and I think that’s going to lead to a breakout campaign.

ANSWER:  I’m no Brad Stevens – trust me – but I have a pretty strong inclination on this one.  Tyler Zeller was impressive as Boston’s starting center last season and I don’t think he’ll lose that job.  I anticipate David Lee, who is the only former All-Star on this roster, solidifying himself as the team’s starting power forward.  He’ll be fine if he winds up coming off the bench, but I think he's capable of doing too many good things to keep him out of the starting lineup.  One caveat: if he and Isaiah Thomas show high-level chemistry in pick-and-rolls, I could see them coming off the bench together.

ANSWER: I like R.J. Hunter, and so do the Celtics, but I wouldn’t set the bar too high for the kid this season.  He’s 21 years old and on a team that’s going to run a legit 15 deep.  It’s going to be very difficult for him to crack the rotation this season.  If he doesn’t manage to do so, he might be the dark horse next season.

ANSWER:  Many people who have seen this question answered with Thomas and Jared Sullinger.  I’m going to disagree with the latter, and here’s why: I think it’s going to be difficult for any of Boston’s big men to put up huge numbers this season.  There are just too many quality players there, and I think they’re going to wind up splitting up much of the playing time.  As a result, I think this answer falls in the backcourt.  My vote: Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley.

ANSWER:  Yes.  No doubt.  Ever since Ainge traded Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, he has been accumulating assets and flexibility to make a huge move.  That move just hasn’t presented itself yet.  There’s no guarantee as to when it will present itself, but I’m guessing it will happen in the next one to two years.

ANSWER:  Absolutely.  I don’t think there’s any question about that.  The only question I have is, how soon will it happen?  I don’t think Ainge wants to wait three years.  As I referenced above, I think he’ll pull something off in the next one to two years, so mark the over/under at 18 months.

ANSWER:  The roster currently stands at 16 players.  At this point, I think the “most likely” move to get down to 15 players is to simply waive a player ahead of the regular season.  Anything else would require a trade, and as we all know, trades aren’t easy to make.  The Celtics are unlikely to attach a pick to a player just to get him off the books, so if a trade were to happen, I think it would involve multiple players.

ANSWER: Let’s actually go to six years.  Thanks to assistant general manager Mike Zarren, we’ve got this nifty table available:

*Memphis 1st will be received two years after they send one to Denver, but then only if 13+ in 2018, 9+ in 2019, 7+ in 2020, unprotected in 2021.

Realistically, there’s no way the Celtics will be able to use all of these picks.  There just isn’t enough room on the roster.  Some of these picks will be traded, but it remains to be seen what they’ll be traded for.  That 2016 Dallas pick, along with the unprotected Brooklyn pick, could have a ton of value at the trade deadline.

ANSWER:  I don’t think anyone on this roster is on the verge of superstardom.  That’s a tough level to get to.  Of all of the players on this team, I think the one guy who could potentially get there is Marcus Smart.  He’s already a superstar at the defensive end, and he showcased a much more mature offensive game during Summer League action.  If his offense continues to improve year after year, he could be an All-Star-caliber player within the next five years.