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The Boston Celtics are going to look very different next season.
The franchise acquired Kristaps Porziņģis from the Washington Wizards in the three-team trade that sent Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies, and it also moved Grant Williams to the Dallas Mavericks in a sign-and-trade agreement.
Smart and Williams were two of Boston’s more energetic, gritty players, and it’s reasonable to suggest that the Celtics might lack some intensity during the 2023-24 campaign following their departures.
Speaking with Heavy.com’s Steve Bulpett, Williams was asked what Boston’s defense will look like without him and Smart next season and beyond, and he said he thinks the franchise will be just fine.
Williams said:
“I think they’ll have success. Me and Marcus brought the energy and grit, but at the same time I trust and believe that their entire team has the ability to defend. They still have Al (Horford). They still have guys like Kristaps who can move his feet and block shots. Rob (Williams) is one of the best defenders, if not THE best shot-blocking big in the league. Then JT and JB (Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown), they’re going to lead the charge. You know, it’s important for them to step up show that dog that they’ve always had. So even without us, I think they’ll be fine.”
The Celtics were one of the best defensive teams in the NBA during the 2021-22 campaign under Ime Udoka, but that shifted last season under Joe Mazzulla, who became Boston’s head coach after it parted ways with Udoka for violating team policies.
The C’s had the second-best offense last season with an offensive rating of 117.3, and with the departures of Williams and Smart, they’ll likely put even more of an emphasis on offense in 2023-24.
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