Part 4: Hornets, Suns, Pistons, Warriors, Heat, Grizzlies, Bulls

Part 5: Celtics, Nuggets, Pacers, Caveliers

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BOSTON CELTICS: A+ + +

White Trade: A

Theis Trade: A

The Celtics have FINALLY FIGURED IT OUT and have made a lot of people, including me, convince that they are a team that can make noise in the East and even go to the NBA Finals, yes, the NBA Finals, if they were just to peak at the right time.

The changes made by Udoka midseason and the willingness of the players to adjust to new roles have been huge drivers of this midseason turnaround. On offense, the ball movement has been noticeably better with Tatum and Brown being more willing passers, meaning less isolations, more cuts, more opportunities for mismatches and open shooters, and more efficient offensive possessions. Trading Schroder also helps, as I think the game is much slower when he runs the offense and that he isn't a good shooter nor he doesn't move without the ball when he plays off-ball. Compare that to Derrick White, who loves to get downhill in transition, which is important in bringing energy and momentum to the team and starting runs in games, and can be effective whether or not he is the main ball handler. Although the shooting needs an increase in efficiency (26%), he can still make a decent amount of the wide open ones he gets (36% when nearest defender is 6+ feet away on 2.6 APA) so he shouldn’t be totally considered as a non-spacer off-ball. Something tells me that he's a wayyy better shooter when he collects momentum off of his feet before the shot than when he is standing still on the corner based from the games I've watched. Hopefully Udoka has noticed that and is finding a way to make White a more respectable three point threat before the regular season ends since White spends a lot of his time on offense on the left corner and that the player they traded away for him, Josh Richardson, was a good three-point shooter for the team.

Derrick White is a bad shooter, which contributes to a problem the team already has, but we know what else he is capable of. The significant aspect of Derrick’s game on offense that makes him fit so well with this team is his quick decision-making, knack for passing and good feel for the game. White knows when to shoot the ball, attack the basket or make the extra pass within the first second the ball lands on his hands, which helps put more pressure on the defense to constantly think about what to do next and where to be. White has been, in a way, a player that made this Celtics turnaround more sustainable with his playmaking ability that kept the ball moving more.

White is also an excellent finisher, which makes his playmaking abilities more impactful -- and you could also trust him to not turn the ball over a lot with him having a 3:1 assist-turnover ratio. The third quarter always seems like "Derrick White time" where he just takes over a part of the game with the help of his quickness and some spin moves that helps him lose his defender and create an open three with the defense collapsing to him. He is also good at taking advantage of smaller defenders with his biggest games being matchups against Campazzo, Rozier and Trae Young. Being a scoring threat himself, White has definitely made life better for Tatum, Smart and Brown by decreasing their playmaking load on offense and giving them easier shots. I don't think this core has ever had a playmaker of this level before. All the Celtics need to do is to give White more possessions as the ball handler and make Pritchard, the better shooter, the one who is on the corner more to maximize his impact in the halfcourt.

As good as the Celtics have been offensively, the defense has been better, with the word "better" as an understatement. The Celtics have built a team with very few holes on defense, helping them hold the league's best defense since the start of the new year. Smart and White have the length and hustle to force attacking guards into taking the most difficult shots and are undeniably the best defensive backcourt when played in the same lineup, with Smart being able to also guard bigs and White being to draw charges and deflect the ball out of bounds when matched up against a bigger player. Brown and Tatum are also capable of defending at an above average level against guards and wings. Grant Williams is also a very switchable defender with his muscular body. The best matchup guards will already probably get is against Horford, who can still move his feet well enough to be a factor at his age and is capable of guarding bigs like Joel Embiid.

Robert Williams emerging as one of the best shot blockers in the league has been the best part of this Celtics defense with him being maximized in a role wherein he strictly acts as the backline of the defense and him pairing well with another big who could cover the opposing team's big. The acquirement of Daniel Theis has also made it possible to give the team another defensive big that can play with Rob and play when Horford or Robert Williams get injured. This was not possible with Enes on the lineup with him being possibly one of the worst defensive centers in the league.

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DENVER NUGGETS: A

Bryn Forbes has been the beneficiary of good screens from Jokic, Cousins and JaMychal Green by being one of the most accurate shooters in the league, ready to fire up a shot every time when given space. Forbes has been shooting 44% from downtown since joining the team and has helped the second unit's scoring, opening up transition three opportunities and at times going purely unconscious and hitting them consecutively. He has also been a reliable kickout option in lineups with Jokic, making them pay for doubling in the post. Forbes might not see minutes in the playoffs due to a potential Jamal Murray return and his struggles defensively possibly getting exploited but nonetheless he has been a solid weapon on a team that needs shooters around the focal point of their offense, especially considering that they only had to give up a second-round pick to acquire him.

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INDIANA PACERS: A+

LeVert Trade: A+

Haliburton Trade: A+

Smith Trade: A+

It's better to be late than to never do it. The Pacers core heading into the season was a projected first-round exit at best, with that projection getting worse if the same lineup were to be used in future seasons as they have a lot of players who have never fit well, are past their prime and can never consistently stay healthy. Not only did they make the correct decision by rebuilding the roster while getting the best value for the players from their previous core that either didn't work with what they had or will likely leave the team once they hit free agency, but they also essentially got a headstart to this rebuild by getting a potential perennial all-star in just his second season with more to prove in Tyrese Haliburton. Building a title contender often takes three star-level players to do so, and them already getting a young star who is glad and capable of taking a major role on the team will only mean two tank seasons at the minimum and less need to draft a boom-or-bust prospect. They also have a healthy cap situation going forward which would help make acquiring role players the future of this team will need much easier. There is a reason to be optimistic about this rebuild as a Pacers fan as this might be one of the quickest we'll see in league history.

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CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: F ...?

It should've been picked off as a red flag already that LeVert has never been able to play more than 50 games in every season after his sophomore season. If LeVert could not stay healthy in the course of the playoffs then the first-round pick they gave up for him might just be deemed as wasted as they could've gotten a higher ceiling talent than him.

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