Boston Celtics: Daniel Theis’ improved shooting mechanics
As the Boston Celtics look for consistency from their bench, Daniel Theis has emerged from the All-Star break with improved shooting mechanics.
The single most enjoyable part of watching Boston Celtics games last season was Amir Johnson lofting majestic 3-pointers when, and only when, there was enough room to land a plane between him and his defender.
In many ways, it feels like Daniel Theis has filled Amir Johnson’s shoes. Their playing styles show many similarities in that they can linger around the basket and fish for rebounds, but were never expected to score unless nobody was in their way. Neither are known to be shot-blockers, but both have high enough basketball I.Q.s that nobody would sneak by them for easy buckets.
This comparison held true, in my mind, until these last two games. Daniel Theis’ newfound catch-and-shoot mechanics add a new dimension to his game that Johnson never had, and work to solve a lot of the spacing issues Boston was trying to sort out before the All-Star break.
For reference, here’s a Daniel Theis 3-pointer from the beginning of January:
Now here’s a shot from his first game after the All-Star break:
It looks to me that his shot is now coming off his hands about a quarter-second quicker than it was a couple months ago. As minuscule as that may seem, the NBA is populated with so many lanky 3-and-D wings these days that a quicker release is key to getting a shot off before a defender has time to close out.
There’s no expectation for Theis to become a deadeye shooter from long range, but it would be helpful for him to hit 3s with just enough regularity so that his defender can’t cheat off him to clog the driving lanes.
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Per Basketball-Reference, Theis has only hit 18 of his 55 attempts from 3 this year, putting him at 32 percent. However, if he had connected on just two more of those attempts, he would be right at the league average of 36 percent. Last year, Amir Johnson sunk 27 of his 66 3-point attempts, good for 40 percent. Again, Johnson had no obligation to become a prolific 3-point shooter, but it certainly helps to have that shot available when the opportunity arises.
Having another stretch big to back up Al Horford could be a major part of the solution to Boston’s bench struggles.
Horford is currently the only player on the roster who can reliably score in the post and knock down shots from outside. While Theis is the same height (6’9″) as his teammate Marcus Morris, they function very differently as players, as Theis is clearly a center while Morris plays as a forward.
While Morris has often been referred to as a potential leader on the bench, Theis is one of the few players on the roster who consistently makes the correct decision almost every time he touches the ball. The comparison is pretty apples and oranges, actually, since the offense often dies in Morris’ hands while Theis either finishes a play or moves the ball quickly.
The bottom line is that the Celtics already have their home run hitters with Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. With so much other talent developing on the roster, it’s important to note what progress the other players are making in order to see how this team is going to win when the games really start to count.
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While some think the Celtics are ready to contend this year, it’s probably best to temper expectations and see what the roster can do in a year or two. By then, Theis could be the rebounding, shot-blocking, 3-point machine the Celtics need to fill in the gaps of the roster. Every bit of progress is relevant, so it’s nice to see him play quality minutes in back-to-back games on the last stretch of his first NBA season.