The Boston Celtics have picked up right where they ended last season when they captured their NBA-record-tying 18 NBA titles. The Celtics are 2-0 in the early going as they conclude a two-game road trip against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night.
NBA Rumors: Celtics Looking to Make a Trade to Open Up Roster Spot And Injury Update To New Orleans Pelicans Star, Plus More
Boston has looked dominant in its first two games of the season, easily handling New York and Detroit. The Celtics have not had Kristaps Porzingis, who is sidelined until December, all season. Once again, the Celtics won’t have Sam Hauser for tonight’s contest.
Hauser, the Celtics’ de facto sixth man, is sitting for the second straight game with a back problem. He scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds in the season’s first game against New York.
According to Adam Taylor of Celtics Wire, Hauser will likely be re-evaluated ahead of Boston’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday. Taylor added that Hauser has dealt with lower back issues throughout the summer.
Boston leads the league in offensive rating, 3-pointers made (44.3%), 3-pointers per game (23), and turnovers (9). The Celtics also have a +7.0 rebound advantage over their opponents and defend the 3-point line exceptionally well.
Jayson Tatum has been excellent and has started making his case for NBA MVP. Jaylen Brown and Derrick White are also off to great starts.
With Hauser out, Payton Pritchard assumes the sixth-man role. Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman, Neemais Queta, and Jordan Walsh are reserves who have played both games off the bench. In all total, 15 Celtics players have seen action in one game, including two of their three two-way players.
Are the Celtics Looking To Trade Jaden Springer?
While Boston has the seventh-oldest roster in the NBA, the Celtics have some youngsters. Walsh is the youngest at 20. Jaden Springer and JD Davison, who is on a two-way deal, are 22 years old.
Speaking of Springer, he is a prime candidate to be traded before the trade deadline, per Jake Fisher of Yahoo Sports. Fisher identified Fisher as a trade candidate last week and reiterated the point on Friday. While the Celtics already have an open roster spot, dealing Springer as a salary dump ($4.018 million) “would create tax savings for Boston and would open up a roster spot for Lonnie Walker or another player.”
Boston is above the second tax apron. So, the Celtics are not permitted to take on more salary than they send out.
Springer, a first-round pick of the Philadelphia 76ers in 2021, came to Boston via a trade with the 76ers at last year’s trade deadline. The Sixers picked up Springer’s fourth-year option in the summer of 2023.
Springer hasn’t done much in his 68 NBA appearances over his first three-plus seasons. The 6-4 combo guard tallied one point, three rebounds, and one assist in six minutes against the Wizards. He is possibly headed for restricted free agency at the end of the season.
Boston could use another wing, though once Porzingis returns, the Celtics’ depth won’t be an issue. However, with injuries popping up constantly, you never know.
Dejountae Murray Out Four-to-Six Weeks
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Friday that New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray, who underwent surgery for his broken hand, will be out for four to six weeks.
“Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray has undergone successful surgery on his fractured left hand and will miss four-to-six weeks, sources tell ESPN.”
The timeframe that Charania laid out means that Murray projects to return following the finals of the NBA In-season tournament at the latest (December 19). So, Murray is slated to miss between 19 and 24 games for the 2-0 Pelicans. This season marks the third straight season that the Pels have begun the year undefeated after the first two contests.
So, with Murray out and Zion Williamson returning to the court after missing the Pels season opener. Williamson replaced Murray in the starting lineup for coach Willie Green joining, CJ McCollum, Daniel Theis, and Brandon Ingram.
Ingram, who has been much maligned along with Williamson, has been terrific in the first two games. Ingram leads the Pelicans with 27.5 points a game, shooting 48% from the field and making 3.5 threes at 50%. He is also averaging 7.5 rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
McCollum will now be manning the point and running them, which he is very used to. He is also off to a fantastic start. Williamson struggled offensively in his first game but did grab 11 rebounds. Rookie Yves Missi and second-year shooting guard Jordan Hawkins also have been excellent.
Jose Alvardo Needs To Step Up
Murray’s absence leaves a hole in the point guard depth chart, as McCollum would likely have run the offense when Murray was resting. Now, Jose Alvardo, who recently received a contract extension, will be counted on to take on a bigger role.
“Jose’s gotta step up big time for us,” Green told Rod Walker of NOLA.com. “We all love Jose, and we know he brings it night in and night out, and we know he’s going to step right up to the plate and get it done for us.”
Alvarado is a fierce on-the-ball defender who excels as a playmaker. He owns a nearly 3-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio and generally doesn’t turn the ball over. The 26-year-old has struggled over the first two games this season, averaging less than one point per shot, seven assists, and four turnovers.
