Boston Celtics: 3 candidates for a breakout season in 2018-19

3. Semi Ojeleye

Semi Ojeleye is set to turn 24 years old this coming season and the second-year man out of Southern Methodist University appears ready to put his hulking 241-pound frame to work.

A second round pick, No.37 overall in 2017, Ojeleye earned regular court time under Brad Stevens last season, with his willingness to bang bodies and play physical defense fitting the Boston mould to a tee.

On court for 15.8 minutes per game over 73 contests in his rookie year is a testament to how highly Semi is rated by the Celtics staff, especially considering he was a virtual non-factor on the offensive end.

During the playoffs, the rookie forward was given the daunting task of slowing down the dominant Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo was averaging 27.7 points through the first four games in that series, while jacking up 17.7 shots a night.

In Game 5, Ojeleye held Giannis to 16 points and just 10 shot attempts in Boston’s critical five-point victory. Via ESPN, Semi passed on the message Brad Stevens gave to him on guarding the ‘Greek Freak’.

"“Just try to make it tough on Giannis as a scorer,” Ojeleye said. “He’s a tough player and a tough matchup for a lot of guys. Just trying to make it as tough as possible.”"

It was a baptism of postseason fire for Ojeleye, who came out of the experience with his head held more than high. Perhaps most importantly, it was a significant sign of faith and commitment from his coaching staff, who backed their rookie to get the job done under the playoff microscope.

That experience and the confidence gained should allow him to build on an underrated first go around in the league. You should expect the Ojeleye name to be mentioned more often this season, particularly defensively, as the opportunities and challenges continue to mount.