The Boston Celtics needed to make a move to improve their roster if they were going to make any sort of run this season. They did exactly that at Thursday's NBA trade deadline, acquiring veteran forward Evan Fournier from the Orlando Magic.
Fournier should immediately step in as another solid scoring option for the C's, who have lacked consistency in that department outside of stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Through 26 games this season, Fournier is averaging a career-high 19.7 points and shooting 38.8 percent from 3-point range.
Forsberg: Was Fournier trade the right move for Celtics?
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Whether that'll be enough to help turn Boston's disappointing season around remains to be seen. The C's enter the post-deadline portion of the campaign with a 21-23 record and an eighth-place spot in the Eastern Conference.
So how optimistic should Celtics fans be after the Fournier deal? What's the best-case scenario with Fournier now in the fold? Chris Forsberg and MassLive.com's Brian Robb discussed on a brand new episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast.
Celtics Talk Podcast: How internal discouragement led to the Celtics acquiring Evan Fournier | Listen & subscribe | Watch on YouTube
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"I think best-case scenario happens on a variety of fronts," Robb said. "Fournier is the guy who takes pressure off Tatum and Brown. Also takes some attention off of Kemba Walker so you have another guy you have to worry about on the floor all the time. That allows him to kind of get into his groove.
"So I think what you're trying to do here from this season's standpoint, you're still fully capable of getting that fourth seed. They have the softest schedule of any team in the league in these last 30 games. A lot of it's going to come at home. So yeah, it's been ugly to this point, but they are due to go on a run here if they right the ship."
Ainge explains why C's acquired Fournier at deadline
"If Fournier comes in, becomes that guy in crunch time they need so the kick out from Tatum or Brown isn't going to Smart, it's going to Fournier. That's a pretty big difference the way the numbers are going this year. You get that four seed, you win the first round, you put up a strong fight in the second round. Best-case scenario I think this team could upset the Sixers or something like that if everything goes right. Is that gonna happen? Probably not. But that is where you map out best-case scenario."
Also in the new episode: Should Celtics fans be optimistic about getting Fournier? What happens if Fournier doesn’t want to stay? Will Danny Ainge regret not getting Myles Turner? And Ainge addresses the team’s moves at the deadline.
Check out the latest episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast on your favorite podcast app or watch it on YouTube below.