Former Cleveland Cavaliers and 2016 NBA champion Channing Frye recently added his thoughts on the Celtics trading Robert Williams to the Portland Trail Blazers. Williams, who will be earning $11,571,429 this season from his rookie extension contract, was part of a three-way trade deal wherein Boston acquired Jrue Holiday from Portland and Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards.
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Discussing the situation alongside Richard Jefferson on the Road Trippin’ podcast, Frye broke down the errors from the Celtics’ end in trading Robert Williams. As a player, Williams was one of the best perimeter defenders for the Celtics and had immaculate shot-blocking abilities.
With the Celtics trading away one of their future potential talents, Frye believed the Celtics gave away their chance to build a strong young core in their roster.
Channing Frye seemed concerned with the Celtics trading away their future star Robert Williams
Channing Frye seemed very perplexed with Boston’s decision to trade Robert Williams. The 2016 NBA champion believed Williams was an extremely good and potential talent to lead the young core of the Celtics roster. However, Frye wasn’t so pleased with the Celtics’ decision to acquire Kristaps Porzingis, calling him a taller version of Al Horford.
Though Williams’s only drawback was being injury-prone, his off-ball defense and excellent rebounding skills certainly added much value to the Celtics roster. On the contrary, Porzingis never had to face the stressful situation of trying to win a championship, which could be a huge difference maker. Chiming in on this recent trade, Frye said:
“All these Boston fans are getting on me about how small their team is. And I’m like guys, Robert Williams was extremely good when he played for you guys. He was also a great off the ball defender when he played. Yes, he’s injury prone. You now traded a guy who was a rim threat, who was an excellent rebounder, who was a shot blocker, for Porzingis, who is a taller version of Al Horford, who is now 36 or 37 years old. And then, you’re like, ‘We upgraded that position.’ I don’t know if you did? You didn’t address anything. Who’s your rim roller? It’s not Al Horford. Who’s your lob threat? It’s not Porzingis. So where are you going?….The only person that I’m wondering because I’ve never seen him in a stressful situation. Like trying to win a chip is Porzingis. So, we’ll see what’s going to happen there.”
Though Channing Frye might have his own apprehensions about Porzingis, some of the Latvian’s stats do prove he might be a valuable asset for the Celtics. Porzingis is one of the most effective scorers in the league out of the post last season and could perhaps level the Celtics’ ranking in post-offense further up.
Furthermore, Porzingis’ presence could also help relieve much of the burden from Jason Tatum’s shoulders. With his presence in the Celtics’ rotation, the team finally would not need to struggle for ideas for post-plays. Though Porzingis’ defensive abilities are yet to be tested with the Celtics, his proven offensive skillset definitely could add value to the roster.
Boston Celtics in close race behind Milwaukee Bucks in the odds for 2023-24 NBA championship
Since the Milwaukee Bucks’ Damian Lillard trade, the epic team-up between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Dame has placed high expectations on the team. The Bucks remain at the top spot to win the 2024 title, with odds of +375. The Bucks now have a new big three of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, and Khris Middleton, explaining the odds in this prediction.
On the other hand, the Boston Celtics aren’t that far behind. After recently acquiring Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzings from a three-way trade, Boston currently stands in second place at odds of +400. The Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns are in the third and fourth spots, with +500 and +600 odds, respectively.
