The Boston Celtics have one of the best young cores of any team in the league according to a recent article by Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report — in fact, second-best in the entire NBA. In his assessment of the top 10 best young cores in the Association this week, Buckley only puts the Atlanta Hawks core of Trae Young, John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, Kevin Huerter, Cam Reddish, Onyeka Okongwu, and Jalen Johnson above the Celtics.
Counting Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams III, Payton Pritchard, and Aaron Nesmith as Boston’s core, it’s slotted one above that of the New Orleans Pelicans with Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kira Lewis Jr., and Jaxson Hayes.
“The Celtics might pack the heaviest two-man punch of any young nucleus so far with Tatum and Brown,” suggests Buckley, who relates the team has “legitimate depth” beyond them, adding they “finished closer to first than third and has multiple arguments for No. 1.”
This particular topic has some polarized perspectives, it seems. https://t.co/36ohpaFaGW
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) August 28, 2021
“Boston shouldn’t count on another star emerging from this core,” opines the B/R analyst, “but Williams locks down the defensive end inside and out, Pritchard packs a steady scoring punch and Nesmith can be a flamethrower from three.”
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