Celtics Address How They Want to Improve This Offseason

The Celtics know there's no guarantee they get back to the NBA Finals and that failing to apply the lessons from this season's journey makes doing so less likely.

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Right now, the Celtics are absorbing the lessons from a campaign where they went from below .500 to two wins from raising banner 18 to the TD Garden rafters.

After coming over in a trade-deadline deal where Boston was willing to part with a top-1 protected 2028 first-round pick, Derrick White played an impactful role in the Celtics' turnaround.

White said of his whirlwind transition, "it's been pretty crazy since the trade and just moving out here, getting adjusted, getting comfortable in the city and with the team."

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Boston's dramatic in-season turnaround reflects how much this team learned and then implemented on the fly. But now, there's more time for White and the Celtics to digest what this year's experiences taught them. That's especially true for the ones learned against the Warriors, a team whose championship pedigree was evidenced by not beating themselves.

So, when it comes to White's points of emphasis this offseason, he expressed, "we obviously had a great season, but it wasn't enough to clear that hurdle of the Finals. So, personally, I'm going to be in the gym working on shooting and getting stronger."

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Grant Williams said of growing as a leader and a player, "the leadership side of things, how to be better for the guys down the line, and individually, how to be better so what happened last night won't happen again."

Williams also conveyed, "I have to continue to improve offensively to be able to put a little bit more pressure on the opposing end," adding, "you have to improve to the point where you can't be taken off the floor."

And while he felt the Warriors respected him as a shooter, usually staying close to him when he spotted up beyond the arc, Williams will work to improve off the dribble and get better at punishing switches.

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Fellow playoff rotation member Payton Pritchard shared, "this season's probably been one of my biggest growth's mentally," citing his lack of playing time until an opportunity opened up after the trade deadline.

As he prepares for his third year in the NBA, Pritchard's focus is "adding little parts to my game; growing. Next year, I have different goals in mind than it was necessarily this year," going on to say, "it's a long season, so hopefully, I can carry more of the torch."

Further Reading

Jayson Tatum Doesn't Believe He'll Need Offseason Shoulder Surgery

Celtics Rightfully Hold Their Heads High but Know There's Much Work Needed in Pursuit of Banner 18

Ime Udoka Shares His Message to the Celtics After Finals Run Ends in Defeat

What Stood Out in NBA Finals Game 6: Warriors Outplay Celtics on Both Ends in Championship-Clinching Performance

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown Reflect on Personal and Team Growth Through Celtics' Playoff Run

[Film Room] In NBA Finals Game 3, Jaylen Brown Balanced Scoring and Facilitating, Showing How He Can Raise Celtics' Ceiling

The Anatomy of the Celtics' Fourth-Quarter Comeback in Game 1 of NBA Finals