NBA Rumors: The Boston Celtics' priority heading into the NBA Trade Deadline has been revealed.
Through the first 20 games of the season, the Boston Celtics have clearly been one of the best teams in the NBA. They may not have the best record in the NBA at the moment but they do have the league's best net rating. At 15-5, the Celtics sit atop the Eastern Conference standings and are expected to remain there until barring an unforeseen circumstance.
Even in the East with other good teams such as the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks, the Celtics are viewed in a different tier than those other contenders. While the top-tier talent that the Celtics have on their roster may be off the charts, what they have in elite talent they don't have in deep depth.
So much so that it still very much remains on the minds of the decision-makers in the front office.
According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Celtics will approach the NBA Trade Deadline with the goal of beefing up their bench. Even though the Celtics have one of the best starting lineups in the NBA, the team's thin depth could be viewed as a bit of a red flag for the team heading into the stretch run.
The Boston Celtics' shaky depth could be their biggest weakness
With Sam Hauser as the team's biggest bench contributor, it would make sense for the Celtics to explore their options over the next couple of months. One big injury could change the entire dynamic and outlook for the Celtics if they don't address their bench before the deadline.
The Celtics don't have much wiggle room financially to pull off a big move at the deadline, but adding a piece or two could be the difference in the team making it back to the NBA Finals or running out of gas in the conference finals.
Specifically, it would be wise for Boston to explore a frontcourt piece that could work as insurance in the event that Kristaps Porzingis and/or Al Horford are forced to miss time. An injury to one of those two big men could very much alter the trajectory of this season. It would force the rest of their starting 5 to play out of place, leading to potential letdowns due to fatigue deep in the postseason.
Without much depth, it's hard to predict whether the Celtics are built to win in the playoffs or not. From a talent perspective, you'd believe that to be the case. However, their lack of depth is certainly something that the team would very much like to address in the next couple of months before the trade deadline.