Is Jrue Vacation the ‘lacking piece’ for a Celtics championship? Paul Pierce thinks so.

Celtics

“He’s a champion. He’s revered across the league. He’ll be revered right here.”

After the Celtics misplaced within the Jap Convention Finals for the fourth time in seven years, the Celtics made some vital strikes geared toward placing them excessive of their quest for Banner No. 18.

Marcus Sensible, Rob Williams, Malcolm Brogdon, and Grant Williams are among the many gamers who’ve left.

Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Vacation are Boston’s two largest acquisitions of the offseason.

Celtics legend Paul Pierce, who attended follow for the second day in a row on Thursday, mentioned he feels that Vacation might be simply what the Celtics want to achieve that subsequent stage.

“I feel Jrue is a pure chief, a pure glue man,” Pierce mentioned. “He’s a champion. He’s revered across the league. He’ll be revered right here. It’s as much as the blokes round him to welcome him with open arms and make him really feel snug not solely as a participant however his household. I all the time assume that’s necessary with new guys to simply set up that comfortability amongst his teammates.

“However, so far as match, I really feel like he was the lacking piece,” mentioned Pierce.

The Celtics’ possession group feels equally, Celtics governor Steve Pagliuca mentioned throughout Vacation’s introductory press convention on Wednesday.

“As Brad [Stevens] mentioned, we’ve actually liked him since he was in New Orleans and we have been watching him play. The directive was: Do something you’ll be able to to get him right here as a result of we might be a championship staff.”

Vacation, 33, received a title with the Bucks in 2021. He’s a two-time All-Star and a three-time All-Defensive First-Staff choice. Pairing him with Derrick White within the again courtroom, together with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum on the wings and Kristaps Porzingis down low, provides the Celtics a formidable beginning 5.

Vacation mentioned he picked the Celtics as a result of coming to Boston gave him the perfect probability to win one other title.

Expectations are excessive for the Celtics, however it’s nonetheless very early. This group’s journey is simply starting to unfold. However, it’s clear that the specified vacation spot is the NBA Finals.

“It’s been enjoyable, it’s been intense, it’s been a pleasure to look at,” Pierce mentioned of the new-look Celtics. “Seeing the blokes collectively these first few days is bringing again a number of reminiscences concerning the first few days, the beginning of the journey.”