10 Boston Celtics-centric thoughts after the Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis deals

The first and second dominos have fallen.

The Celtics kicked off what will likely be a busy few weeks by trading Jrue Holiday to the Blazers in exchange for Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks.

Then they dealt Kristaps Porzingis and a second-round pick to the Hawks and acquired Georges Niang and a second-rounder as part of a three-team deal.

In a perfect world, the Celtics would have kept Holiday and Porzingis for several more years. The reality, however, is that it wasn’t feasible. I wouldn’t argue with you if you gave these trades an A or a C, but I personally give the Holiday one a B+ and the Porzingis one a B from Boston’s perspective.

With that in mind, here are 10 thoughts on the trades and the state of the team moving forward.

1. A moment for the Holiday and Derrick White backcourt.

Not to be a downer, but there’s a pretty solid chance you’re never going to enjoy watching another Celtics backcourt as much as you liked watching Holiday and Derrick White.

Their styles meshed perfectly, they made each other better and they had a knack for providing exactly what the game needed in tandem.

It seems pretty likely White is staying in Boston, but Holiday will be missed.

2. Holiday is the ultimate stabilizer.

The bigger the moment, the more likely it is Holiday will leave his imprint.

The term “missing piece” is thrown around a lot in sports, but that’s exactly what he was. His poise and attention to detail turned a great team into an invincible one. Without Holiday, there’s almost certainly no Banner 18.

You can’t really replace a guy like that. His time in Boston was short, but it was incredibly meaningful. He represented the franchise the right way and was the ultimate teammate.

3. It should give White even more of a key role.

It’s not all bleak. With Holiday out of the picture, White will have the ball in his hands even more. That’s a good thing.

White played some of his best basketball last year, and it’s fair to expect an even better season from him this year. His shooting splits may go down a bit, but his numbers should go up.

It would be fun to see him as the definitive second or third option on a nightly basis, as opposed to just some games.

4. What about this Simons guy?