The Boston Celtics are coming off an absolutely brutal loss to the New York Knicks, blowing a huge lead, and losing on a three-point buzzer-beater prayer from RJ Barrett. The Celtics have struggled all year, just lacking any consistency or fight to win games.

The Celtics sit at 18-21, good for 11th in the Eastern Conference. Where do they go from here? They have Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, that’s the all-star duo. The team around them just can not step up when the Celtics need them to.

A lot of fans are calling for Ime Udoka to be fired. Maybe I give coaches too much of a leash but I don’t think he should be fired just yet. I see the reasoning too but I couldn’t justify it after one season. Too often coaches are fired when their team struggles and then the same roster struggles with a different coach. If the Celtics make some roster moves and still struggle then it might be time for Udoka to go.

Untouchables

Who are the untouchable Celtics right now?

There are three, that’s it. In the NBA, you need star power, the Celtics need to keep Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The Jays have shown that they are elite NBA players. Tatum is putting up about 25/8/4 this season. His rebounding and playmaking have improved so much since he came into the NBA. His defense is also improved, Tatum is a superstar in the making and he’s still just 23.

Jaylen Brown recently turned 25 and is averaging 24/6/2 this season. He has gone from draft night boos to 50 point performances. His speed and athleticism make him an incredible scorer, and his ball-handling has become much better over time. Brown can score from any spot on the floor.

The third untouchable you may ask?

Robert Williams III. Williams signed an extension prior to this season which is looking like a STEAL for the Celtics. The 4th year center has played himself into the starting rotation and has not looked back. His numbers may not always jump out at you but his skill level on the court is unreal. He is averaging 10 points and 9 rebounds a game, along with 2 blocks. For his contract, Williams should not be dealt any time soon by the Celtics, his defense can not be lost.

Future Roster Construction

There are a few things that should be done before this season comes to an end. The trade deadline is about a month away now (Feb. 10th). The Celtics most likely will not be looking to make any deals to bring them back to a championship run this season. They do need to make the best of what they have though.

Who Needs to Go?

Schroder

We’ll start with Dennis Schroeder. Schroder is not a bad player by any means. But he was brought in on a one-year 5 million dollar contract to help the Celtics in the playoffs. With a real chance, they don’t even make it there, they should try and get something out of Schroder.

A contending team could definitely use Schroder as a 6th man/bench scorer type player so he has some sort of value regardless of being a rental player. A team like the Bulls could use Schroder heading to the playoffs as an extra guy they can rely on aside from Derozan and Lavine. If the Celtics could get back a first-round pick and whatever contracts match (Javonte Green and Tony Bradley works).

Horford

Al Horford should probably be moved this season. He has been great, but with Robert Williams the Celtics don’t necessarily need him or his contract. It will be much more difficult to move on from Horford. He is 35 years old and is a free agent in 2023.

A team like the Detroit Pistons could potentially be interested in a Horford trade. The Pistons are a rebuilding team with Cade Cunningham so they may be looking for assets. The Pistons have won 7 games all year, I’m sure Jerami Grant does not want to be a part of that right now. If the Celtics could pull of a deal of Horford, Aaron Nesmith, and their 2022 first round draft pick for Jerami Grant and Cory Joseph, I’d call that a win.

Horford would come off the books for them with Cade Cunningham going into his third season so they could find another star to pair with him then.

The Remaining Roster

Any of the following players should be at least shopped around for deals; Enes Freedom, Romeo Langford, Grant Williams, Payton Pritchard, Josh Richardson. These are essentially the only remaining Celtics with any sort of trade value. Who are some players they should target with these guys?

Buddy Hield, Caris Levert, Harrison Barnes, Cam Reddish, are a few players on struggling teams who could be looking to make some trades.

Marcus Smart is someone I would only include in a deal for a player who very clearly makes the Celtics a better team. His defensive intensity and connection to the team are hard to recreate but if need be he should be expendable.

Heading to the Offseason

The Celtics do not need to go into this offseason with draft picks. The majority of the team is made up of players drafted by the Celtics. They need to exchange some assets for better players. Tatum and Brown’s window for success is only getting smaller.

The Celtics need to go into the 2022-23 season with a serious win-now mentality. It is frustrating to see a team with so much talent struggle to win games against other non-playoff teams.

There are not a ton of big-name free agents the Celtics should be looking at in free agency. But there are some solid veterans they could add for depth. Here’s a list of players in no particular order that could help the Celtics next season.

• Goran Dragic
• Ricky Rubio
• Joe Ingles
• Robert Covington
• TJ Warren
• Marvin Bagley
• Thomas Bryant
• PJ Tucker
• Pat Connaughton

The Celtics need veterans if they want to win, The Romeo Langford, Aaron Nesmith, Payton Pritchard, Grant Williams of the team are fine players. But they are all so young and looking to prove who belongs in the rotation. This team needs to have their rotation be players who know their role and know how to do it well.

There is some work to be done in Boston. I still believe Tatum and Brown are the faces of the franchise, they are who the team needs to build around.

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