The Boston Celtics Desperately Need A Point Guard

The Boston Celtics have underperformed compared to expectations this year, despite the presence of All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the roster, to the tune of a 18-21 record almost halfway into the season, ranking 11th in the Eastern Conference.

During their last loss, against a likewise struggling Knicks on Thursday, the Celtics had a 24-point lead in the second quarter, which they squandered. It’s not the first time they’ve given up substantial leads this season, as they also allowed the Chicago Bulls to come back from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter, ultimately losing by 14 points themselves. 

Identifying struggles

Usually, digging through statistics, including the more advanced ones, unearth a clue as to why a team is struggling. But in case of the Celtics, not a single number leaps off the page to pinpoint their exact troubles. Sure, it doesn’t help they rank 20th in offense, nor is it particularly impressive to rank 23rd in eFG%, but that’s not the whole story.

The Celtics need to be seen to truly understand what is going on. They look unfocused, unmotivated and apathetic to their own situation, as if they’re waiting on someone to simulate the rest of their games on a gaming console, just so they can end their season.

So what exactly is going on? Turns out, your guess might be just as good as anyone else’s.

Some speculate whether the relationship between Brown and Tatum has soured and is now to blame. Others point to Boston’s constant bickering in the media as a chemistry killer. Finally, some believe first-year head coach Ime Udoka isn’t good enough in that role and has lost the locker room.

As speculation run rampant, one thing has become clear as day in recent weeks. The Celtics have a leadership vacancy, and no one currently on the roster or on the coaching staff have the interest nor the skill to fill it. This is a rudderless team, for a wide variety of reasons.

Neither Brown nor Tatum are known as great verbal leaders. Both have tremendous abilities on the court, but more often than not, they lead by example. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as they’re flanked by a verbal and emotional leader who commands the respect of everyone around him. While Al Horford and Marcus Smart have tried that role on for size, it hasn’t gone well.

Point guard Dennis Schröder, signed last summer to a one-year contract worth $5.9 million, is more of a scorer than he is a leader, and while he could still make a case for Sixth Man of the Year, ranking fifth per FanDuel Sportsbook, he has proven to not be the solution to Boston’s lack of leadership.

The need for a real point guard

Positions in the NBA are dead. In today’s league a team’s best playmaker can be their 6’11 center, and a team’s best rebounder can be their 6’3 point guard. More often than not, teams are scouring the Earth to find wing players who can handle the ball, set up the offense and function as proper old-fashioned point guards, just taller and more athletic.

In the case of Boston, however, there might be a need to go back ever so slightly to the old format of acquiring themselves a proper no-nonsense point guard, who runs the offense, dictates where players need to go, and constantly has the attention of his teammates and coaches.

Fortunately for the Celtics, such a player is available in free agency this summer. Unfortunately, he might not play for a while.

Ricky Rubio of the Cleveland Cavaliers is exactly the type of player who can instil in Boston a culture of upbeat positivity, unselfishness, ball-movement and a winning attitude.

Rubio, who recently suffered a torn ACL in his left knee for the second time in his career, played an instrumental part in Cleveland’s impressive return to relevance this season. While Rubio came off the bench, his influence was obvious as soon as he entered the game. The ball would move, he’d call out plays and direct his teammates on where to go, when to come up to set a screen, and then explain to them how to improve afterwards if the play failed.

Rubio, at his core, is a natural teacher. He’s not an All-Star player, nor is he even a particularly good scorer either. In fact, Rubio is historically outright miserable when it comes to efficiency, frequently sporting shooting percentages in the mid-30’s.

Yet, despite his lack of skill in that area, he has everything else. He’s an elite floor general and a solid defender. He helps out on the glass and gets the ball moving in transition. He’s more than satisfied with getting his teammates involved, as 30-point games have little meaning to him.

Long-term outlook

Is Rubio going to fix every problem in Boston? No, not by a long shot. But he would help shape a culture of unity and togetherness, which has otherwise escaped these Celtics.

He’d also free up Tatum and Brown to be themselves, without fans and media members expecting them to become leaders in ways that do not fit their personalities.

Rubio is a free agent this summer, and his injury could have hurt his monetary market. That said, the Celtics should still be aggressive in their pursuit, as it’s possible a few other struggling teams could be giving him a look for similar reasons.

While Rubio is not a hot name, he should both affordable and realistic, and most importantly, he should help fix the team from the inside.

The Celtics owe it to themselves to try that approach before they start to make significant changes to their Tatum and Brown pairing.