Boston Celtics: Abdel Nader’s quiet rookie season

While Boston’s wealth of young talent continues to impress, Abdel Nader is still lagging behind. Will he find his way, or fade into obscurity?

Boston Celtics forward Abdel Nader has had an oddly nondescript rookie campaign for a team that has been playing under a microscope since October. While the other underdogs of the Celtics roster have amassed cult followings of their own across social media, Nader has not been afforded the same attention.

The one time D-League (now the G League) Rookie of the Year has yet to strike water in an ocean of opportunity this season. While his teammates take turns as the “next man up” to carry the Celtics to dramatic wins, Nader has yet to etch his name into the narrative. What may have been his best game of the season on paper will ultimately be lost to history: 10 points, five rebounds, and a lot of hustle in a one-point double-overtime loss to the Washington Wizards at home.

His most important performance, however, was arguably the effort he gave in the comeback win against the Houston Rockets on Dec. 28, when he started the second half and received the President Stevens seal of approval after the game.

"“I think Nader gave us a great energy lift. It didn’t think we looked like we were matching their level in the first half. That’s why we started him in the second. Even though he missed some shots in the second, he got some boards back and was active.”"

If you’re familiar with the Celtics, you know that stats are often tossed to the wayside in favor of grit, hustle, and “great energy lifts,” as supplied by Nader and his teammates. Guerschon Yabusele is a case of this as another Celtic posting a statistically insignificant season who adds to the game primarily through effort — namely, rebounding and playmaking.

Yabusele is as raw a talent as they come, but he’s already carved out a basketball identity for himself in his first season. In short, he’s a stretch big. But he also has an aura about him, the type of charisma that makes people want to play around him, and the ball skills to back it up. With time, his switchability on defense paired with his playmaking on offense could make him the type of player to fit in any lineup. He’s even got a sweet nickname.

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And yet Nader, who puts forth the same effort on the same team, is a man without an identity. No nickname, no weird Celtics Twitter memes, and no fun trivia statistics to share and use to compare to other players. Is this a result of mediocre play on the court, the lack of a real social media following? (See: Terry Rozier embracing the Scary Terry nickname)

It could be both. It could also be the added pressure of being one of many prospects fighting to be a part of the team’s future. When you’re, say, Avery Bradley in 2010, you may not take it personally to lose out on playing time with Rajon Rondo running the show and Nate Robinson brought in as a backup. But what if the entire starting lineup got hurt? Bradley, who the Celtics invested a first round pick in, would surely see the spotlight earlier than expected.

The 2018 Celtics have been playing their games with somewhere between four and six rotation players sidelined from night to night, and Nader has played 17 minutes per game over the last two weeks. It’s the perfect situation – opportunity without expectation.

At the risk of beating a dead horse, I will reiterate, Nader has been quiet in the bulk of those minutes. Coach Brad Stevens is justified in saying that Nader’s energy gives the Celtics a boost, but the difference between Nader and guys like Yabusele is that the effort is highlighted by timely rebounding, intelligent passing and the occasional scoring boost.

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Here’s the one bit of good news I can think of: it’s likely that the Celtics have a very similar roster next season. Nader will not move up on the depth chart right away, but may feel more comfortable in the system and work his way in now and then. Until then, he’ll just have get by.