It’s time to hit the panic button with the Boston Celtics. Boston has gone from 7 to 13 since the break for COVID-19 and while the players are even, they may want to shake things up before the NBA negotiation deadline. They have become one of the top teams to watch for NBA rumors in anticipation of possible changes.
Basketball operations team chairman and general manager Danny Ainge has taken the blame for the team’s performance so far this season. It is his squad he has set up and does not want the blame to be placed on coach Brad Stevens or the players.
He also admitted that this is not a good enough list to win the Eastern Conference. Sooner or later, Ainge will have to put his money where his mouth is and get help for the team.
Earlier this month, Ainge said the team is trying to add some size with the shot. While the team would love to acquire someone like Myles Turner from Indiana Pacers or Nikola Vucevic from Orlando Magic, that may not be in the cards.
If the Celtics need to aim a little lower, they can look at someone like former Celtic and current Oklahoma City Thunder big shot, Al Horford. Chicago Bulls striker Thaddeus Young would also fit the profile.
All of these players would need to be switched. If Boston wants to keep its assets, there is a player who has just become available who would qualify as someone who can shoot; DeMarcus Cousins.
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Cousins and the Houston Rockets parted amicably this week, after the organization secured their contract last week. They said they wanted to do the right thing with their free agent hires, and Cousins was no longer suited to their plans.
Cousins will have a plethora of teams looking to hire him and an NBA agent has a forecast of where he will land. Without hesitating, he said ‘Boston’.
In 25 games this season, Cousins is playing 20.2 minutes per game, averaging 9.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks.
Your shooting efficiency is not great at 37.6 percent from the floor and 33.6 percent from the 3-point line, but if your 74.6 percent free-throw is any indication, those numbers will improve as he continues to work after the ACL injury that caused him to miss the entire 2019-20 season.
DeMarcus Cousins has proved this season that he is healthy and ready to contribute. Although it is not the dominant force that it was a few years ago, it can still help in outbreaks. The Celtics would be a good landing point for him. Stevens knows how to strategize to get the most out of players, and in the right situation, Cousins could thrive. Meanwhile, Cousins will be a name to watch for in the NBA rumors.