Boston Celtics: 3 takeaways from comeback win over Grizzlies

2. Guerschon Yabusele might need more minutes

As Aron Baynes recovers from his hand injury, the Boston Celtics have had issues shoring up their big man defense once Horford comes out of the game. Daniel Theis has struggled lately, and rookie Robert Williams has been dealing with some injuries himself during this stretch. With Horford on a minutes restriction and Boston’s big man rotation struggling to adequately defend the paint in his stead, it may be time to give Guerschon Yabusele some real minutes to see what he can do.

Against the Grizzlies, Brad Stevens replacing Theis in the rotation with Yabu payed off — big time. The third-year forward came into the game and made an immediate impact with his hustle and energy, running all over the floor and doing the little things to put his team in the best position to win.

Yabu’s game against the Grizzlies may actually be one of the highest quality games he’s played in his young career, though the stat sheet (three points, four rebounds, two blocks) may not indicate that. With surprisingly quick feet on a big body, Yabu was all over Memphis on the defensive end. Taking over Gasol duty, the 6’8″ Yabusele stood him up in the post, allowing him to only finish with 15 points after a hot shooting first half.

Also, Yabu’s switching on defense proved invaluable for the Celtics. While Yabu was Gasol’s primary defender, when the Grizzlies ran screens to get Boston in disadvantageous matchups, mainly Mike Conley on Yabu, the big man held his ground and even got a few blocks on chase-downs (though he also got too block-happy and got himself a goaltend as well).

The Grizzlies game saw Yabusele play some of the best defense he’s played, stretch the floor with a pick-and-pop 3, and bring the typical hustle and energy fans of the team have come to expect from him. With the big man rotation reeling from injuries and Theis struggling, it may be time to see what Yabu can do with more minutes in a more regular role.