NBA News: Boston Celtics' Jared Sullinger, David Lee Rely on Amir Johnson; Isaiah Thomas Ease Out Tyler Zeller, Jae Crowder

By Mitch de Leon
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are looking at Jae Crowder and Jordan Mickey to lead the team as Jared Sullinger continues to battle injuries. Wikimedia Commons/mariselise

The Boston Celtics have not made any splash in the NBA offseason as the team opted to retain its major basketball stars and refused to pursue big names in the industry. With the likes of Jared Sullinger, Jae Crowder and David Lee in the roster of the Boston Celtics, it appears that the NBA team could not be any more content with their players. Hence, the Boston Celtics now have one thing unique to its group coming in this NBA season - that is, the team has the widely coveted "cap space" which would allow them to move more freely once the free agent season commences in 2016. While this appears to be a move to cushion the budget of the NBA team, sports analysts believe that the Boston Celtics' move to pursue rookies and less famous basketball stars will prove to be advantageous to the group in the future.

One of the most notable moves of the Boston Celtics during the NBA offseason is the acquisition of Amir Johnson from the Toronto Raptors. Although this trade has not made waves in the NBA community, sports analysts note that the entry of Amir Johnson to the Boston Celtics locker room could give Jared Sullinger and his crew sufficient leverage in the upcoming games. In fact, the sheer size and versatility of the former Toronto Raptors star already give off vibes of formidable talent and skill that fans and followers of the Boston Celtics could expect in this NBA season.

"Getting a guy like Johnson, who can singlehandedly begin to address some of the Celtics' biggest issues-rim protection, low-post scoring, three-point shooting-could wind up being a steal," pointed out Tim MacLean of SB Nation. The sports analyst further noted, "There really isn't anything he's not willing to do to help his teams win ball games. And with so many young, impressionable players on the Celtics' roster, Johnson will also serve as a guy that can show the youngsters how to play NBA basketball at a high level."

MacLean shared that Amir Johnson could provide various kinds of support for the current Boston Celtics roster. Calling the former Toronto Raptors star a "chameleon of sorts," the sports analyst noted that Amir Johnson could provide support to Tyler Zeller, Jared Sullinger and David Lee. In fact, it would not be a farfetched idea for the Boston Celtics to send him in alongside Jae Crowder. With these potential results in mind, it could be said that the Boston Celtics got their money's worth with Amir Johnson - all $12 million of it.

Meanwhile, the entry of Isaiah Thomas in the Boston Celtics locker room could pose danger to the posts held by the vet NBA stars. With the notable promise held by the aspiring basketball star, the likes of Jae Crowder and Tyler Zeller might find themselves in the bench as Isaiah Thomas attempts to let his skills shine in the hardwood. "There's no doubt that Thomas has the talent to start for the Celtics," shared sports analyst Marc D'Amico. He added, "In fact, I believe he's going to lead this team in scoring for the second consecutive season."

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