The Boston Celtics may have gotten slightly better on paper by adding Kristaps Porzingis.
He’s definitely a better fit for what they needed on the court, and it will also allow them to have more positional versatility with Al Horford coming off the bench.
Nonetheless, losing both Marcus Smart and Grant Williams in the same offseason is a big blow they might not be able to come back from.
Of course, it’s not that they were the top-two players on the team, but they were strong presences in the locker room and two of their most local guys.
With that in mind, Rachel Nichols asked team legend Paul Pierce his thoughts about losing those two key guys, and, as per usual, The Truth wasn’t worried.
Will the Celtics be able to replace what Marcus Smart and Grant Williams brought to the table?
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Per Pierce, guys from the second unit like Peyton Pritchard are ready to embrace a bigger role, and the Celtics have more than enough depth to make up for the losses of Williams and Smart.
Pierce, however, does think that it’s time that Jayson Tatum takes a leap forward not only as a player but also as a leader, which has often been one of the biggest — and perhaps the only — knock on him throughout the course of the years.
The Celtics also have a young coach, and he did struggle to turn things around in adversity.
Talent is obviously the most important aspect of team-building, but one can never underestimate leadership, and that’s a lesson the young Celtics might learn the hard way next season.
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