Can the Celtics be defeated?
After Jrue Holiday was moved to Boston, it is the question that every team in the NBA must be asking itself. For the league’s title contenders, it was a week filled with ups and downs, beginning on Wednesday with the Damian Lillard deal and ending on Sunday with the Holiday trade to Boston.
These two deals significantly changed the league’s environment, putting certain teams in a better position to win the championship and dash[ing] the aspirations of others.
The top winners and losers from the trades this week are listed below.
The Celtics were having a lot of issues before they made the trade for Holiday. The Bucks, who are their main East rivals, improved their position after obtaining Lillard. Malcolm Brogdon was one of their players who was displeased. Additionally, they had lost Marcus Smart, one of their top perimeter defenders, in the deal for Kristaps Porzingis.
Bringing in Holiday resolves every one of these problems at once. He is a definite improvement over Smart since he can fit in more readily with the Celtics’ favoured 5-out attack and gives them a little more size in their switch-heavy defensive schemes. Both players are undoubtedly good defenders, but Porzingis should be able to remain back around the rim and mask his lack of mobility thanks to Holiday’s ability to fight over screens in combination with Porzingis’ drop defense.
The loss of Robert Williams III in the deal hurts and highlights the team’s lack of depth. But if more rotation players are required, the Celtics still have some draft equity. They feature five starters, including Derrick White, one of the league’s top role players, and four All-Stars, including a potential MVP.
The Celtics ought to be regarded as heavy title favorites. They may have the best top six since the Kevin Durant-led Warriors, and they have the strongest top six in the entire league.
With the trade of Lillard, the Blazers received a tremendous return.
Let’s start with the draft assets. Two unprotected first-round picks, a top-four protected first-round pick, and first-round pick exchanges with Bucks teams in 2028 and 2030 were given to them in exchange.
Other previous trades pale in comparison to the three first-round picks and two pick swaps that took place. Aside from the mega-deal for Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving was dealt in late February for one first-round selection and two second-round picks. When they acquired Porzingis, the Celtics received a first-round pick and a 10-spot increase in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III, two solid young centers who the Blazers recently acquired, can later be traded for further selections if required. If his health permits, Brogdon, the league’s current Sixth Man of the Year, may also be transferred to a team vying for draft equity.
Jerami and Malcolm Brogdon Grant
Grant and Brogdon are now listed on the Blazers roster. Both could be moved to much better locations because neither makes sense for the Blazers’ rebuilding team.
Grant received a large five-year, $160 million contract this summer as the result of excellent timing. In order to satisfy Lillard at the time, it was regarded as an overpayment. Grant will now receive his payment and most likely be sent to a competitor who could
