Celtics’ top six ‘best in NBA’ after Holiday trade

Forsberg: Celtics’ top six ‘best in NBA’ after Holiday trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

With the acquisition of two-time NBA All-Star guard Jrue Holiday, Celtics insider Chris Forsberg is high on the Boston Celtics roster heading into the new season.

“[Boston’s] top six is better than anybody else in the NBA,” Forsberg said on Monday’s Early Edition.

Headlined by the returning core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, and Derrick White, Forsberg is confident that newcomers Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis give Boston the best six-deep lineup in the league.

“One of the things the Celtics did this offseason was to put a priority on sacrificing emotion for the betterment of talent,” said Forsberg, “Talent is king in the NBA.”

Giving up a fan favorite in Marcus Smart was not easy for anyone, but it was a move the Celtics needed to make. Since the 2017-18 season, the Celtics have made deep playoff runs every year with the same core, falling short every time. It was time to mix things up.

“Some of us may be emotionally attached to Marcus Smart, to Robert Williams – it is undeniable that the Celtics are a higher ceiling team now, adding Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.”

The Celtics got a worthy return for Smart in the form of 7-foot-3 big Kristaps Porzingis. With height a glaring issue in past years, teammates believe Porzingis can fill that gap, even with the departure of Robert Williams. With Williams showing flashes of greatness in his ability to block shots and grab rebounds, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens saw an opportunity to make the Celtics better by packaging him and Malcolm Brogdon to bring in Holiday.

“You have four legitimate All-Stars, not even potential All-Stars, but guys who have been All-Stars in recent seasons,” Forsberg said.

Admittedly, Forsberg wanted to be angry about the trades that sent Smart, Williams, and Brogdon to other teams, “but it was just such a ridiculously good deal for the Celtics. This is what championship teams are supposed to do.”

Looking back at history, the Celtics traded for two All-Star players following the 2007 season in Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, giving up two first-round picks, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair, Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, and Jeff Green. They went on to win the 2008 NBA Championship.

Can history repeat itself?