Do the Celtics need a rim-runner?

It could be an important new wrinkle

I started writing and podcasting about the Boston Celtics during the same season as Brad Stevens’ rookie year. The season after Danny Ainge made the trade. You know, when he fleeced the Brooklyn Nets?

Until recently, there was always something to write about. Talk about. Debate about. From whether James Young could figure stuff out, to Tristan Thompson’s effect on the roster or whether Romeo Langford is being used incorrectly.

Always something.

I’ve never tried to cover a championship-level team before.

It’s new. And with it comes some unforeseen challenges. One of those challenges is having something to write about each day — or as close to each day as possible. After all, Stevens’ has assembled a professional roster with zero drama and very few holes within the construction.

I didn’t expect that to happen. But, if given the choice, I would take these writer’s blocks 10/10 times. We got to see a championship, and that’s what it’s all about.

I wanted to write this preface before I dive into today’s topic. Not because I don’t think it’s a strong one. But because I always feel some type of way when trying to poke holes in a team that dominated the NBA last season and has a top-three record this time around.

Are the Celtics missing a rim-runner

This is more of a fleeting thought piece than an analysis. I like to toy with different styles as that means there’s something for everyone!

I’ve been quite vocal about the Celtics being short on the wing. Just these past two weeks, I’ve referenced Svi Mykhailiuk and Oshae Brissett close to 10 times. But, when watching the Cleveland Cavaliers dismantle the Oklahoma City Thunder, a new question dawned on me…

Do the Celtics need a legitimate rim-runner?

Hear me out.

Kristaps Porzingis is your modern-day perimeter-based big. He picks-and-pops. He posts up. He hits middies. And he can work as an off-ball cutter. On defense, he defends the rim and rebounds. He fits Mazzulla’s five-out offense and switchable defense — although Mazzulla usually switches 1-through-4 when KP in on the court.

Al Horford is a 37-year-old pick-and-pop threat or someone who chills out in the corners. He’s an off-ball screener. On defense, he can play drop, or he can switch. Rebounding has never been his strongest skill, but he chips in on the glass.

Luke Kornet is a non-shooting five-out big. He initiates DHOs, is an off-ball screener, and spends considerable time spacing the floor in the weak side slot. Credit where credit’s due; he’s also emerged as a vastly improved short-roll creator and rebounder. A drop coverage big man.

Xavier Tillman hardly plays. When he does, he’s similar to Al Horford without the consistent three-ball.

And that leads us to…Neemias Queta…

Queta is the closest thing the Celtics have to a legitimate rim-runner. He rebounds, protects the rim, sprints the floor, screens and rolls, and chills in the dunker spot. He’s explosive off one or two feet; he’s powerfully built. The issue is that his defensive positioning is a problem, as is his propensity to bite on fakes and quickly rack up fouls.

Robert Williams had the same issue in terms of fouling. It takes a while for bouncy bigs to understand they can be just as effective without leaving their feet.

Still, Queta is a raw talent. You can’t rely on him to turn the tide in every game. And that becomes a bigger issue when facing an elite offensive team such as the Thunder or Cavaliers.

Talking of the Cavaliers, it’s them who got my mind churning in the first place. Their double-big lineup of Evan Mobley — a modern-day five-out big, and Jarrett Allen — a genuine rim-runner — has been exceptional this season.

In 1101 possessions this season, the Cavaliers are +11.4 points per 100 possessions better with that duo on the floor. They’re holding teams to 112.7 points per 100 while knocking down 124.1 per 100.

Mobley is playing the role you would envision for Porzingis. However, the Celtics don’t have a Jarrett Allen-type rim-runner to call on.

Don’t get me wrong, the Celtics center rotation is legit. We’ve seen all four of the primary bigs have highly impactful games this year. Still, something tells me that a legitimate rim-runner could be a genuine floor-raiser.

The spacing is ideal for a consistent lob threat to get behind the defense—either as a trail man or cutting off screens, likely with a wedge or slice. The scoring gravity around the perimeter would also bend the defense in new directions. Having someone who can manipulate the low man and pull bigs into a world of despair would be a nice wrinkle to add to the mix.

I still remember the Lob Williams era and the connection he had with Jayson Tatum.

“Usually, if they throw one out of reach and I say something to ’em about it, they usually say, like, ‘It don’t matter, go get that shit,’” Williams told The Athletic’s Jared Weiss in 2022. “So it’s pretty cool. No excuses. I understand.”

Having that sort of above-the-rim threat on both sides of the floor would give Boston a new dimension to explore and Mazzulla a new set of actions to run out of the playbook.

I shared some additional thoughts on this for today’s YouTube video, too. Watch, like, subscribe - I’m forever grateful.

I get that adding a new player to the roster will likely mean cutting ties with someone. And I still believe a wing is the priority if Stevens does look to make a move. However, even a veteran free agent like JaVale McGee could help provide the type of punch we’re talking about.

Oklahoma clearly has a weakness without Chet Holmgren in the rotation. Boston tried to exploit it by throwing out a string of double-big lineups. However, without the lob threat, the Celtics struggled to make the most of their size and length advantage. Allen ensured the Cavaliers didn’t suffer the same issue.

I doubt we will see another big one added to the roster this season—there are already five. There is no need for another.

But, for argument’s sake, if Tillman was to be re-routed somewhere and a roster spot opened up, would adding a rim-running veteran really be a bad thing? Wouldn’t they at least be something different from what teams are used to dealing with from the Celtics?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!