Boston Celtics: 3 trades team should make before deadline
By Joe Hagen
3. Adding Royce O’Neale
After Aron Baynes went down, the common perception was that Daniel Theis was going to step up and defend the paint in his stead. That … was not the case. Especially after Horford was sidelined for a spell, Boston’s big man rotation was left to Theis, Guerschon Yabusele and Robert Williams III.
Two of those three are only 6’8″, and the other (Williams) is just a rookie. With Theis as the most dependable option in the paint, teams would attack. If there were a dominant offensive big man, like Anthony Davis, Daniel Theis was barbecue chicken on the block. That game, the Celtics resorted to Williams’ size and athleticism to handle Davis, to surprisingly effective results.
The Celtics would be better off finding a paint protector in the buyout marker or through a trade than trying to get through the playoffs with Daniel Theis as the backup option if Aron Baynes or Al Horford goes down.
Where Theis struggles as the lone rim protector surrounded by wings, he can play well next to like-sized or bigger 4s and 5s. He can defend in one-on-one against a spectrum of players across the league; he has the ideal foot speed and coordination for teams running switch-everything defenses. He can step out beyond the arc and shoot the 3 as well, showing encouraging signs that he could be a really valuable roll man in pick-and-roll/pop situations.
Utah Jazz wing Royce O’Neale could be a good match for Daniel Theis, paired with the Celtics’ own first-rounder. While Utah currently employs perhaps the best rim protector in the league in Rudy Gobert, the modern NBA demands more versatility from bigs on defense.
We all saw it last year. The Jazz outlasted the Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs with their offense execution, defensive discipline, and the phenomenal play of Donovan Mitchell.
The next round, however, they got blown out of the water by the Houston Rockets, whose fast-paced, 3-point barrage of an offense never fell into the same traps that less talented shooting teams fall into when they play the Jazz.
Daniel Theis could be an excellent frontcourt piece for the Jazz as they begin to slowly re-establish themselves as contenders in the West. When Gobert gets ran off the floor by teams that employ five shooters at every position, Theis could slide in nicely and help the Jazz run a switch-everything defense that allows them to more effectively close out on shooters.
Royce O’Neale would be a great fit on the Celtics with his shooting and defensive potential on the wing. With his impressive height, 6’6″, O’Neale could play the 2 next to Terry Rozier or Marcus Smart, or slide down to the 3 if both are on the floor with him. He and Hayward could be trouble for any team that would look to counter the relative small statures of Smart and Rozier with size of their own.
At 25 and 26 respectively, O’Neale and Theis both have proven that they can contribute to a winner and both fit within each team’s timeframe. Both teams clear a little bit of a crowded rotation that allows for their young rookies to get a little more action (Grayson Allen and Robert Williams), and both teams get a little more versatile with their second units.
The Celtics could always use more shooting on their wing, and the Jazz will greatly benefit from the added versatility in their big man ranks that consist primarily of Gobert and Derrick Favors. Pairing Theis with the Celtics’ own first-rounder could be a nice win-win for both sides.