Clippers: Why Celtics will be interested in Blake Griffin trade
By Tom West
The Celtics still need more offensive firepower
The Celtics just got an awful lot better by signing Al Horford. He can space the floor, he shot far better than ever from deep with 88 threes at a 34.4 percent rate last season, is an excellent pick-and-pop option for the guards to work with, he can roll well to the basket, drive, and pass.
His stellar defense and versatility at that end of the floor is extremely valuable, too, but the Celtics still aren’t a top contender.
There’s only so much Horford can do. When Isaiah Thomas was off the floor last season, the Celtics scored 8.5 fewer points per 100 possessions, leaving the team without a consistent option they could use to create a basket. Avery Bradley can create his own shot off the dribble from mid-range at times and Boston’s ball movement helped them be an effective unit, but they simply needed more offense (13th in offensive efficiency) to become an elite team and take the pressure off their 5’9″ point guard.
As much as Horford can help with his two-way skill set, the host of talent and scoring weapons Blake Griffin has to offer is certainly worth the sacrifice of a few trade assets.
More so than Horford and most big men in the league, Griffin can use his rare athleticism and ball handling ability to create for himself. When he isn’t using his strength to back down opponents in the post or stepping back with his improved mid-range game, he can take opponents off the dribble like very few bigs can.
And while Horford can drive down the lane, he can’t tear away in transition, blow past faster defenders when he faces up, or create so easily off the dribble as the younger Griffin can.
Before injury last season, Griffin was at his best. It’s just easy for people to forget that after the incident with Matias Testi. He averaged 23.2 points per game on 50.8 percent shooting prior to injury in the first 30 games of the regular season, and when combining his interior creation with the three-point of Horford, their combination of range, ability inside, and pick-and-roll threat would seriously bolster the Celtics’ offense.
On top of scoring, it’s passing where Griffin really helps.
Next: A new elite passer