We’re continuing our fantasy basketball analysis of every NBA team by looking at the Boston Celtics. The senior squad in green is in the final acts of the “Big Four” era, and will have to face its future without Shaquille O’Neal – which means next to nothing for fantasy purposes. A shortened season could be good news for the Celts and their aged stars, but it could also mean a heavier concentration of back-to-back games – maybe even a back-to-back-to-back run or two. Toss in a long list of unrestricted free agents and it’s easy to see that the Celtics will be an interesting team to watch whenever the NBA is back open for business.
Though the league is in lockout mode, we’ll do our best to thoroughly examine each team, noting free agents and players who might be locked into overseas contracts for the upcoming season.
Depth Chart:
PG: Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley, Carlos Arroyo*
SG: Ray Allen, Delonte West*, Von Wafer*, E’Twaun Moore
SF: Paul Pierce, Jeff Green**, Sasha Pavlovic*
PF: Kevin Garnett, Glen Davis*, Troy Murphy*, JaJuan Johnson
C: Jermaine O’Neal, Nenad Krstic*
* unrestricted free agent
** restricted free agent
Relevant fantasy players and their projected draft positions/per-game stats:
– Rajon Rondo, PG (Rd. 2): 50% FG, 60% FT, 12 Pts, 5 Reb, 12 Ast, 2.2 Stl, 3.5 TO
– Paul Pierce, SG/SF (Rd. 4): 47% FG, 85% FT, 1.5 Threes, 18.5 Pts, 4.5 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 TO
– Kevin Garnett, PF (Rd. 4): 50% FG, 85% FT, 14 Pts, 8.5 Reb, 2.5 Ast, 1 Stl, 0.7 Blk, 1.5 TO
– Ray Allen, SG (Rd. 5): 48% FG, 90% FT, 2 Threes, 16 Pts, 3 Reb, 2.5 Ast, 1 Stl, 1.5 TO
Sleeper:
O’Neal
Most likely to surprise:
Garnett
Most likely to disappoint:
Rondo
Category specialists:
– Threes: Allen
– Blocks: O’Neal
Things to consider:
– how motivated/healthy O’Neal will be in his last contracted season with the Celtics (maybe his last in the NBA)
– the effect of a potentially shortened schedule on the veterans
– how Green will fare in his second season in Boston, if he’s re-signed
– how free agency shakes out
Team’s statistical NBA ranks from 2010-11:
– Pts: 23rd
– FGM: 20th
– FGA: 30th
– FG%: 1st
– FT%: 11th
– 3PTM: 26th
– Reb: 29th
– Ast: T-4th
– TO: T-22nd
– Stl: 3rd
– Blk: T-27th
– Pace: 24th
– Offensive Efficiency: T-17th
– Defensive Efficiency: 2nd
Throughout the season, be sure to leave your questions, comments, concerns, trade offers, roster problems and more in the comments below.
What do you think?
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