JD Davison, Jaden Springer, and offseason development plans: Celtics mailbag answers (part 2)

Continuing from Part 1 of the mailbag.

Charlie-two-protons

What are the next improvements for the Jays, PP, and Hauser to make? As Brad said, if you’re not trying to get better, you’re probably going to get caught.

Tatum - Odd as it sounds, I think he needs to work on outside shooting. Picking the right shots, limiting the bail-out shots, and generally finding that rhythm and confidence to bump up his shooting % a bit.

Brown - He’s improved his playmaking considerably over the years, but I think he could develop that further next season. If teams are going to take Tatum out of the play, Brown will have opportunities to “run the show” himself.

Pritchard - I think Payton could use a little work on floaters and midrange shots. Defenders already know to close out on him, and he can put it on the floor, drive into the defense and kick it out. But he doesn’t seem like much of a threat in the paint so defenses are adjusting.

Hauser - Similar to Payton, I think Sam needs to capitalize on defenders flying at him. He’s not going to be a drive threat, but he could become a master at stepping into a midrange shot. While you’d rather have him taking 3’s, if he’s open enough a midrange shot could be as good as a layup for him.

Dave Higgins

What odds do you give JD Davison replacing Pritchard this year? They’re the same size. fight hard on defense and JD’s shooting improved dramatically last year. He also makes about $7.5m less than fast PP. They could trade Pritchard for a draft pick and a player to be released.

Can JD Davison consistently hit buzzer beater half-court heaves? If not, then no thank you.

Seriously though, I’m glad that JD is making progress, but the talent gap from Pritchard to Davison is steep and a pick wouldn’t be worth giving up that depth option. Also, the Celtics are so far over the cap that reducing the salary would only shave a bit off the luxury tax. It wouldn’t allow them to sign anyone else.

Morpheus6610

Rotation Players. To start this year we are starting without Porzingus for at least a month or two. The starting 5 of Al, the 3 Js and White are obvious. But, how do you see the rotation changing for 6-10 this year? Who moves up, moves down, surprise rookies in the rotation?

Until KP gets back I think Kornet continues to be the first big off the bench. Though I think you’ll see Queta and Tillman get minutes as well, depending on the matchup (Queta gives you more size while Tillman is a better defender in space).

Hauser and Pritchard should continue to get the bulk of the backup wing and guard minutes. Then we’ll have to see if Walsh, Springer, or Scheierman can step into a productive role. I think Springer might have the edge right now, but it is very early.

So if I’m ranking them, here’s how they’d look (with everyone shifting back a spot once KP is back):

6 - Kornet
7 - Hauser
8 - Pritchard
9 - Queta/Tillman
10 - Walsh/Springer/Scheierman

CelticsWest

Hey, Jeff. Thanks for the mailbag! My questions are the following:

With KP out until the new year, Al a year older, and Tatum, White, and Holiday logging Olympic minutes, of the players on the roster who do you think is most likely to absorb the minutes needed to keep the Starting Six fresh up until the all-star break? Additionally, given what Coach Mazzulla has shown about having a “circle of trust” do you see a possibility that Scheierman or Watson will move into it in their rookie seasons?

I notice a lot of questions from fans and some media about the bench being framed as “Will player X pass Player Y?” Why do people have a hard time seeing that if the Cs have Tillman, Queta, and Luke they can be shuffled based on match-ups to get optimum results?

Last one: assuming for the moment that Anton Watson gets the third two way contract, which of the Summer League invitees do you think wind up with Maine this year?

I covered the rotation questions above but I agree that rotation depth is largely a fluid thing and isn’t always related to a pecking order. Sometimes a game needs a spark of energy or rebounding or a long defender and coaches love having those kinds of options to turn to.

This is a good place to mention that I’m not ruling out Watson getting some run as well. He probably has a lower upside, but he’s one of the more seasoned guys of the group. He knows his way around the court and if he can start hitting corner 3’s he could find a few minutes here and there.

As for the Summer League guys, I think you could see any of them in Maine if they can’t find a two-way in Boston or elsewhere. It would be neat to see Eddie House’s kid up there.

Katahdin

Springer is going to be a fourth year professional. He has plus athleticism and on ball defense. The tools seem there for a high ceiling. With Jrue getting older, I think he is someone who starts getting the big Al treatment to reduce his yearly minutes. Odds Springer is top eight in minutes? Is Malik Monk. a good ceiling comp for him?

He’s a legit NBA defender. The only thing holding him back is the offense. He proved he’s a step above most of the Summer League talent, which is a start. The next step is proving it in preseason. I don’t know if he can consistently break down NBA defenses like he did in Vegas, but if he can continue developing his shot, he’ll at least get a chance.

Or if not, he’s a walking tradable salary (though only for another player that makes $4M or less). Here’s a fun exercise for you. Find Jaden’s salary on this list and see if there’s anyone below him that you’d trade him for (and that the other team would reasonably consider).

I’m not even going to try to compare him to current or former players. I’ll just out myself as a bad evaluator and get mocked for trying. Cheers to you though. Braver than I am.

AlohaCeltic

I’m puzzled by JD Davison’s 2 way contract. It could understand if he was an average 3 point shooter or if he showed improvement in that category year to year, but in his 2 G league seasons he’s shot 31.7 and 26.6% outside the arc. He’s also not a defensive standout. Is there room in the Cs NBA roster for a point guard who drives and passes well but doesn’t shoot well from distance and isn’t a great defender? Do you think he can make a big leap with one more year?

He’s an NBA athlete. That’s what they are working with. I agree that he’s going to need to figure out the outside shooting if he wants a legit shot in the NBA, but if you are going to spend time developing a guy, it might as well be a guy who has upside based on that athleticism. I’m skeptical that it will work out, but I can at least see the rationale.

Thanks for the questions everyone!