FanPost

Who would you prefer to trade: Smart, Bradley, or Crowder?


If the Celtics make a move for a star this offseason there is a good chance that we will have to include one (if not two) of our established wing players. I doubt many Celtics fans are actively looking to trade any of these players (Smart-haters aside), but who would you want to hold onto and who would you be willing to give up in the right deal?

Bradley

Pros:

  • As we saw in the playoffs, he's easily our best shooter from the wing position and without him defenses can collapse on IT.
  • One of the better on-ball perimeter defenders in the league.
  • Signed to a team-friendly deal.
Cons:
  • Not a players who can get his own shot. While he has shown a Ray Allen-like talent for coming off screens ready to shoot, he's not a guy who can beat his man off the dribble.
  • Advanced numbers don't like him (especially this season. 13.2 PER, 4.8 WS, 1.4 VORP. Most interestingly (or concerning) Basketball Reference had him as a -0.3 DBPM. That's right, negative.
  • I hate to say it, but as Will Carroll says, health is a skill. Bradley's track record indicates that injuries are a concern.
Smart

Pros:
  • Unique talent, he has the strength, speed, and athleticism to guard up to four positions (as we saw when he was called upon to put out the raging fire that was Paul Millsap in game 4.
  • Flashed a bit more of an offensive game near the end of the season, improving his outside shot and making better decisions with the ball.
  • Plays like a maniac. Rebounds, gets big steals, and generally manages to do at least one or two things a game that help you win but don't always show up in the box score.
Cons:
  • Not a good offensive player, and might never be. He apparently isn't a point guard, has trouble finishing drives, and his outside shot comes and goes. Makes some really bad decisions with the ball.
  • Plays like a maniac. Everyone now knows about his issues with flopping and just generally getting every ref in the league to hate him. But his lack of discipline hurts the team in other ways as well and is something he is going to have to control moving forward.
Crowder

Pros:
  • Our best two-way player. Despite what we saw against Atlanta when he was obviously not 100% he was probably our second best offensive player this season (advanced numbers back this up). He's also one of our best defenders.
  • Has the ability to guard multiple positions. It's hard to over-emphasize how important this is in the modern, switch-heavy NBA. His speed and strength allow him to keep up with quicker guards while also being able to bang underneath. He is really the only player we currently have who allows us to play small.
  • The soul of the team. If you watched the Celtics this season and saw what happened after he was injured than I need not say more.
Cons:
  • Is he a good enough shooter? His 3-point % went in the tank after January (27.9% from Feb 1st on). This could be just a slump mixed with the injury, but if he can't get back up closer to 35% then defenses will start playing off him.
  • Can he withstand a full NBA season? This was his first year starting every game, and he broke down at the end. Injuries happen, and it's unfair to think it was more than a fluke, but until he proves he can play 82 games (and beyond) the concern will be there.


FanPosts are fan-created content and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CelticsBlog. Be respectful and keep it clean. Thanks.