Post by Admin on Dec 28, 2018 17:18:57 GMT -5
Player report cards for Christmas
by Shea Norling
by Shea Norling
(Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
Kyrie Irving: A+
Any conversation about the Celtics’ guards starts and ends with Kyrie Irving. The former Duke Blue Devil has been ethereal this season, carrying the offensive load while delivering the single best defensive season of his career.
Kyrie is averaging 22.9 points and a career-high 6.4 assists while posting .483/.404/.840 shooting splits on the season. He also ranks third in the association in Win Shares among qualified guards, which is a testament to just how much Irving has carried Boston at times this season.
After a slow start through the first seven games, Kyrie has been playing MVP-caliber basketball.
Any conversation about the Celtics’ guards starts and ends with Kyrie Irving. The former Duke Blue Devil has been ethereal this season, carrying the offensive load while delivering the single best defensive season of his career.
Kyrie is averaging 22.9 points and a career-high 6.4 assists while posting .483/.404/.840 shooting splits on the season. He also ranks third in the association in Win Shares among qualified guards, which is a testament to just how much Irving has carried Boston at times this season.
After a slow start through the first seven games, Kyrie has been playing MVP-caliber basketball.
Marcus Smart: A
Marcus Smart has been showing the league why general manager Danny Ainge paid him this past summer. He provided a massive boost to the Celtics when they were a measly 10-10, as Boston has gone 8-2 since Smart entered the starting lineup.
His hands have been as active as ever as he’s averaging a career-high 1.8 steals and posting a career-high 2.3 defensive box plus-minus. His DBPM is also good for third among qualified guards behind just Russell Westbrook and Ben Simmons.
On top of all that, Smart is enjoying the best shooting season of his career in his fourth year. His counting numbers have risen since his entry to the starting lineup, which appears to be a permanent spot. In 10 games since being named a starter, Smart is averaging 9.1 points and 4.8 assists a night on .411/.362/.778 shooting splits while being a +11.2.
Marcus Smart has been showing the league why general manager Danny Ainge paid him this past summer. He provided a massive boost to the Celtics when they were a measly 10-10, as Boston has gone 8-2 since Smart entered the starting lineup.
His hands have been as active as ever as he’s averaging a career-high 1.8 steals and posting a career-high 2.3 defensive box plus-minus. His DBPM is also good for third among qualified guards behind just Russell Westbrook and Ben Simmons.
On top of all that, Smart is enjoying the best shooting season of his career in his fourth year. His counting numbers have risen since his entry to the starting lineup, which appears to be a permanent spot. In 10 games since being named a starter, Smart is averaging 9.1 points and 4.8 assists a night on .411/.362/.778 shooting splits while being a +11.2.
(Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
Jaylen Brown: D- (Comment: Harsh given his injuries that have contributed to the lengthy regression)
Jaylen Brown has been bad. Like, really bad. He’s a very good basketball player who found himself bearing the brunt of the offense in the playoffs and performed at such an impressive clip his ceiling felt like it was superstar level. He has seen massive regression this season.
Jaylen is still averaging the fifth-most points on the roster, but his efficiency has been terrible. He’s shooting just .407/.271/.667 on the season and adding just 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Despite having one of the worst 3-point percentages on the team, he’s launching the fifth-most of the Celtics.
It would be mostly forgivable if Juice were offering a steady hand on defense, but his off-ball defense has been lousy. Brown has appeared lost at times when he’s not the on-ball defender, and has basically been a complete liability on the parquet this year.
With 52 games left to play, Brown can still improve, but he has a very long way to go to get back to where he was in last season’s playoffs.
Jaylen Brown has been bad. Like, really bad. He’s a very good basketball player who found himself bearing the brunt of the offense in the playoffs and performed at such an impressive clip his ceiling felt like it was superstar level. He has seen massive regression this season.
Jaylen is still averaging the fifth-most points on the roster, but his efficiency has been terrible. He’s shooting just .407/.271/.667 on the season and adding just 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Despite having one of the worst 3-point percentages on the team, he’s launching the fifth-most of the Celtics.
It would be mostly forgivable if Juice were offering a steady hand on defense, but his off-ball defense has been lousy. Brown has appeared lost at times when he’s not the on-ball defender, and has basically been a complete liability on the parquet this year.
With 52 games left to play, Brown can still improve, but he has a very long way to go to get back to where he was in last season’s playoffs.
Terry Rozier: C-
Scary Terry achieved a cult-like fan following after he stepped into Kyrie Irving’s shoes and played glowingly in the closing months of last season and the playoffs. Like Brown, however, Terry Rozier has regressed a bit this season. He hasn’t been completely dreadful, but he’s had a proclivity for shooting the Celtics out of games when leading the second unit.
Rozier’s shooting has come down from last season and last season’s playoffs. Terry averaged 16.5 on .406/.347/.821 in the playoffs, but those numbers have fallen to 13.4 points a night on .385/.370/.714 splits this season. Like Brown, Rozier has also been a bit of a liability defensively at times.
Part of his struggles can be attributed to going back to a bench role. Rozier has been subtle in his gripes about play time, but it has felt at times like he’s pressing in an attempt to get himself a starting role either in Boston or elsewhere.
Scary Terry achieved a cult-like fan following after he stepped into Kyrie Irving’s shoes and played glowingly in the closing months of last season and the playoffs. Like Brown, however, Terry Rozier has regressed a bit this season. He hasn’t been completely dreadful, but he’s had a proclivity for shooting the Celtics out of games when leading the second unit.
Rozier’s shooting has come down from last season and last season’s playoffs. Terry averaged 16.5 on .406/.347/.821 in the playoffs, but those numbers have fallen to 13.4 points a night on .385/.370/.714 splits this season. Like Brown, Rozier has also been a bit of a liability defensively at times.
Part of his struggles can be attributed to going back to a bench role. Rozier has been subtle in his gripes about play time, but it has felt at times like he’s pressing in an attempt to get himself a starting role either in Boston or elsewhere.
(Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)
Gordon Hayward: B (Comment: Seems generous after admitting he's not the same player acquired, yet)
Nobody expected Gordon Hayward to come out of the gates playing All-Star basketball after last year’s horrific season-ending injury. He has not been the same player that he was with the Utah Jazz, but it feels like he’s finally approaching 100 percent.
On the season, Hayward has been third among Celtics’ players averaging 20 minutes in net rating, posting a +7.9. That number has improved even further over the last 15 games, as he’s posting a +12.4 net rating in that span. Hayward has also provided an anchor for the second unit since head coach Brad Stevens elected to have Hayward come off the bench.
Outside of one 30-point night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, we’ve seen only flashes of Old G. It looks like Hayward is primed to return to his old self as the calendar flips to 2019.
Nobody expected Gordon Hayward to come out of the gates playing All-Star basketball after last year’s horrific season-ending injury. He has not been the same player that he was with the Utah Jazz, but it feels like he’s finally approaching 100 percent.
On the season, Hayward has been third among Celtics’ players averaging 20 minutes in net rating, posting a +7.9. That number has improved even further over the last 15 games, as he’s posting a +12.4 net rating in that span. Hayward has also provided an anchor for the second unit since head coach Brad Stevens elected to have Hayward come off the bench.
Outside of one 30-point night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, we’ve seen only flashes of Old G. It looks like Hayward is primed to return to his old self as the calendar flips to 2019.
Marcus Morris: A+
Marcus Morris has been incredible. The 2018-19 campaign has been a career year for Mook in every single possible aspect. There is a strong argument to be made that Morris has been the C’s second-best player behind Kyrie Irving this season.
Morris is averaging 14.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while posting .492/.424/.875 shooting splits — all career highs. Mook’s 3-point shooting has been especially valuable, ranking sixth in 3-point percentage in the NBA among forwards who attempt at least three deep shots per game.
Marcus Morris was never supposed to be this good. Celtics GM Danny Ainge has made shrewd trades in the past, particularly with the Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers, but trading Avery Bradley for Mook — largely seen as a cap clearing move at the time — will go down among the best.
Marcus Morris has been incredible. The 2018-19 campaign has been a career year for Mook in every single possible aspect. There is a strong argument to be made that Morris has been the C’s second-best player behind Kyrie Irving this season.
Morris is averaging 14.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while posting .492/.424/.875 shooting splits — all career highs. Mook’s 3-point shooting has been especially valuable, ranking sixth in 3-point percentage in the NBA among forwards who attempt at least three deep shots per game.
Marcus Morris was never supposed to be this good. Celtics GM Danny Ainge has made shrewd trades in the past, particularly with the Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers, but trading Avery Bradley for Mook — largely seen as a cap clearing move at the time — will go down among the best.
Jayson Tatum: A (Comment: Seems generous for a Celtic that hardly plays defense)
Jayson Tatum received a lot of criticism for his shot selection early in the season. After working out with Kobe Bryant over the summer, Celtics Twitter and Deadspin were a field of jokes about Kobe sabotaging Tatum’s game by convincing him to shoot long mid-range shots. Tatum has put some distance between himself and that criticism in recent weeks.
The past 15 games have seen a serious uptick in Tatum’s efficiency. He’s been averaging 17.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game on .505/.385/.778 shooting splits in that time. His isolation game has also taken massive strides this season, as he’s been putting defenders on skates with a gorgeous crossover.
Jayson Tatum received a lot of criticism for his shot selection early in the season. After working out with Kobe Bryant over the summer, Celtics Twitter and Deadspin were a field of jokes about Kobe sabotaging Tatum’s game by convincing him to shoot long mid-range shots. Tatum has put some distance between himself and that criticism in recent weeks.
The past 15 games have seen a serious uptick in Tatum’s efficiency. He’s been averaging 17.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game on .505/.385/.778 shooting splits in that time. His isolation game has also taken massive strides this season, as he’s been putting defenders on skates with a gorgeous crossover.
Tatum was a massive factor in the Celtics’ Eastern Conference Finals run a season ago, and he will again be asked to play a huge role if they make a run this season. His game has developed enough to make him a staple of Boston’s offense, and potentially an NBA superstar.
(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
Al Horford: B+
Al Horford hasn’t been spectacular this season. He’s seen his age and injuries catch up to him, as he’s now dealing with patellar tendinitis. Horford has been steady as always, however, and has been the veteran presence the youthful Celtics need.
The injury certainly goes a ways to explain the decline in Horford’s counting stats this season, but they haven’t been severe downticks. He’s still shooting a respectable 34 percent from deep, and that number has risen to 45 percent in the last seven games that he’s been active. If Horford can come back fully healthy and stay healthy, look for his grade to rise into the A range by season’s end.
Al Horford hasn’t been spectacular this season. He’s seen his age and injuries catch up to him, as he’s now dealing with patellar tendinitis. Horford has been steady as always, however, and has been the veteran presence the youthful Celtics need.
The injury certainly goes a ways to explain the decline in Horford’s counting stats this season, but they haven’t been severe downticks. He’s still shooting a respectable 34 percent from deep, and that number has risen to 45 percent in the last seven games that he’s been active. If Horford can come back fully healthy and stay healthy, look for his grade to rise into the A range by season’s end.
Aron Baynes: B
Aron Baynes has been consistent. It’s the best word to describe him. He isn’t flashy, he doesn’t do anything spectacular, but you always know exactly what you’re going to get when he gets on the floor.
For the first time in his career, he demands a modicum of respect at the 3-point line. Until this season, he had never attempted at least one 3-pointer per game in his career. This season, he’s shooting 1.5 3s a night and hitting a respectable (for a center) 32.4 percent of those shots.
Baynes has provided consistent defense in the paint while giving the second unit the much-needed ability to space the floor. He has battled injury all year, and broke his hand against the Suns, so health will be a priority for Baynes as the Celtics enter the dog days of the NBA season.
Aron Baynes has been consistent. It’s the best word to describe him. He isn’t flashy, he doesn’t do anything spectacular, but you always know exactly what you’re going to get when he gets on the floor.
For the first time in his career, he demands a modicum of respect at the 3-point line. Until this season, he had never attempted at least one 3-pointer per game in his career. This season, he’s shooting 1.5 3s a night and hitting a respectable (for a center) 32.4 percent of those shots.
Baynes has provided consistent defense in the paint while giving the second unit the much-needed ability to space the floor. He has battled injury all year, and broke his hand against the Suns, so health will be a priority for Baynes as the Celtics enter the dog days of the NBA season.
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Daniel Theis: B-
The German center Daniel Theis has been excellent in limited minutes and appearances this season. Another member of the perennially injured Celtics who have battled injury this season, Theis has shown an ability to stretch the floor, shooting 38.5 percent from deep.
The one flaw in Theis’ game this season has been a down year defensively. His defensive box plus-minus has dropped from 3.8 a season ago to just 0.8 this year. Theis has made up for his relative defensive woes by developing that deep stroke, but the Celtics will need to rely more on Horford and Baynes to defend the league’s best centers. IfBaynes [Williams] is asked to take a lot of first team reps in the wake of Horford and Baynes’ absence, he could see a sharp decline in production.
Semi Ojeleye: D+ (Comment: Given his lack of minutes maybe a C would be moar fair)
Semi Ojeleye is perhaps the most difficult Celtic to grade this season. He is a casualty of Boston’s ridiculous wing depth, which goes a ways to explain his relatively low level of production. He is on pace to play just 826 minutes this season compared to 1,150 a season ago.
Despite the lack of minutes available for Ojeleye, his field goal percentage is up to 39.2 percent this season. Unfortunately, his shooting drops significantly when he goes beyond the 3-point line, down to just 27.9 percent. His production from deep will need to increase if he hopes to break into the Celtics’ second unit later this season.
The German center Daniel Theis has been excellent in limited minutes and appearances this season. Another member of the perennially injured Celtics who have battled injury this season, Theis has shown an ability to stretch the floor, shooting 38.5 percent from deep.
The one flaw in Theis’ game this season has been a down year defensively. His defensive box plus-minus has dropped from 3.8 a season ago to just 0.8 this year. Theis has made up for his relative defensive woes by developing that deep stroke, but the Celtics will need to rely more on Horford and Baynes to defend the league’s best centers. If
Semi Ojeleye: D+ (Comment: Given his lack of minutes maybe a C would be moar fair)
Semi Ojeleye is perhaps the most difficult Celtic to grade this season. He is a casualty of Boston’s ridiculous wing depth, which goes a ways to explain his relatively low level of production. He is on pace to play just 826 minutes this season compared to 1,150 a season ago.
Despite the lack of minutes available for Ojeleye, his field goal percentage is up to 39.2 percent this season. Unfortunately, his shooting drops significantly when he goes beyond the 3-point line, down to just 27.9 percent. His production from deep will need to increase if he hopes to break into the Celtics’ second unit later this season.
There simply isn’t enough meaningful basketball played by reserves Brad Wanamaker, Guerschon Yabusele, or PJ Dozier to provide worthwhile grades for their performances. There is one player left to grade, though…
Robert Williams: A-
Robert Williams. The Timelord. The poster child of Weird Celtics Twitter for the 2018-19 season has been perhaps the biggest steal of last summer’s NBA Draft. The 6’10” center has displayed his absurd 7’6″ wingspan by swatting anyone and everyone who dares attack the rim on him.
Robert Williams. The Timelord. The poster child of Weird Celtics Twitter for the 2018-19 season has been perhaps the biggest steal of last summer’s NBA Draft. The 6’10” center has displayed his absurd 7’6″ wingspan by swatting anyone and everyone who dares attack the rim on him.
Timelord is currently posting an absolutely unthinkable 6.4 blocks per 36 minutes. This would lead the league by nearly three whole blocks if Williams had achieved the minutes qualifier. His 1.6 blocks per game is good for 13th in the NBA despite only playing 8.8 minutes a night.
In his limited exposure, Robert Williams has showed he has what it takes to play in the NBA. He’s a machine on the offensive glass that provides a wealth of second chance opportunities when he’s on the floor. His defense still needs to take strides, as he’s been very beatable on-ball from the arc or mid-range, but he has the DNA needed to be a premier defender in the league if he can put his game together.