The Boston Celtics are not currently expected to contend for a playoff spot in the upcoming season, but they do have a good amount of talent on their roster if they can put everything together. Their young players will have to step up in a big way as well in order for Boston to make a run at the playoffs, and they will need a few players in particular to step up. All of that being said, the Celtics will likely miss the playoffs once again and continue their rebuilding process into at least one more offseason.
So who is the biggest X-Factor for the Celtics heading into the 2014-15 season?
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The answer to this question is extremely obvious.
Evan Turnerwill have to step up in a big way for the Celtics this season, and could make the biggest difference in the Celtics competing for the playoffs. He showed last season with the Philadelphia 76ers that he is more than capable of being an above average scorer and one of the main options in an offense.
Obviously the Celtics don’t want to make Turner their No. 1 option, but he will be asked to shoulder a fairly large offensive load. Turner played in and started 54 games last year with the 76ers, averaging 17.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. Philadelphia then traded him to the Indiana Pacers at the trade deadline, and his season went downhill. He averaged just 7.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game with the Pacers.
Those numbers with Indiana are certainly concerning, but he still has plenty of potential and talent. Brad Stevens is entering his second season as the Celtics’ head coach, and has a knack for getting the most out of players. He has a lot of confidence in Turner as a scorer and playmaker for his teammates, and Turner should get a good amount of minutes every night.
Turner is only 25 years old, and has plenty of time to keep improving his game. The Celtics view him as a potential piece that they could use long-term, but they only are committed to him for two years at this point in time. Philadelphia selected Turner with the second overall pick in 2010, and that in and of itself shows how much potential he has.
His stint with the Pacers last season earned him a bad rep, but he had shown improvement each and every year with the 76ers since he was drafted. Boston desperately needs as much talent on their roster as they can get, so giving Turner another chance was a great idea.
It’s possible that he ends up being a bust and playing poorly like he did with the Pacers last season, but there is also a chance that the Celtics are getting a former second overall pick just four years ago.
There are some concerns with Turner’s game that he’ll need to improve this season, especially on the defensive end of the floor. He doesn’t have a lot of lateral quickness, which hurts him against the majority of shooting guards and small forwards that he tries to defend. Boston will need him to fight through those issues and defend to the best of his abilities.
Another area that needs improvement from last season is his shot selection. Turner seems to love contested jump shots, and while he can knock them down quite often they still aren’t quality shots. He needs to take open looks only and use his playmaking ability to get his teammates open looks if he isn’t open himself.
All of that being said, the Celtics are needing a big year from Turner in order to have any chance at making a shocking run at the playoffs. It isn’t likely that they can even if he plays well, but Turner is going to be a huge part of what the Celtics do this season. Hopefully he is able to come through with a big year and begin getting rid of the bad reputation that he got while playing with the Pacers last season.