The Boston Celtics came agonizingly close to winning what would have been a record 18th NBA championship last season, and they are determined to go all the way in the 2022-23 campaign. With that goal in mind, they made some good moves this offseason, as they traded for Malcolm Brogdon while also signing Danilo Gallinari.
Those two were solid additions to the team, but the Celtics were dealt a major blow when Gallinari went down with what looked like a serious injury while playing for Italy. It, fortunately, wasn’t a torn ACL, but he suffered a torn meniscus which rules him out of action for a couple of months, which means he will miss the start of the season at the very least. So, with Gallinari out of action, NBA insider Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson is reporting that the Celtics have turned their eyes to another veteran to fill the void in Carmelo Anthony.
Melo somewhat surprisingly remains unsigned up to this point, but there is rumored to be a lot of interest around the league for his services, so the Celtics will have to act quickly if they want him. Anthony showed last season that he can still be a productive role player, as he averaged 13.3 points to go with 4.2 rebounds per game for the Lakers.
He and Gallinari are, in a way, similar in what they bring to the court as well, so he should be able to slot in seamlessly. It’s not the way that the Celtics would have hoped to start their new season, but at least Brogdon, who has had his injury issues, seems fit and ready to go. He was their prized acquisition, and a rival Eastern Conference executive admitted that he is pissed off that the Celtics managed to acquire him.
An exec from one Eastern Conference club had his mood change in a conversation with Heavy Sports when Malcolm Brogdon’s name was raised. The context was whether the 6-foot-5 guard acquired from Indiana will be a serious help to the Celts.
“He will,” the executive said. “He’ll be good for them. Going to Boston, with strong people around him, unfortunately, yes, he’ll be good for them. I think he’s going to make them a lot better — which pisses me off.”
If Brogdon manages to stay healthy, then the decision to acquire him will go down as a masterstroke. He provides them with some playmaking which they lacked last season, and is also a solid perimeter defender.
The Celtics have positioned themselves to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference yet again, and they might well be the best of the lot. They are hungrier than ever, having come so close to winning it all, and it will take a special effort to take them down this upcoming season.
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