Boston Celtics: 5 problems facing the ‘team to beat’
By Jordan Daly
3. Players deserving of more minutes
Lack of talent has never been an issue for the Celtics. If anything, the amount of talent has contributed to an issue.
When Irving and Hayward went down with injuries last year, it gave some players a chance to get in the spotlight, and for the most part, they shined. Now with a fully healthy team, their roles have been reduced, and the spotlight was taken away.
The player that was affected the most by this is Terry Rozier. In the playoffs last year, Rozier averaged 16.5 points, 5.7 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 36.6 minutes per game.
Now, Rozier is averaging 9.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 0.9 steals in 23.1 minutes per game. When given more playing time, Rozier has proven he can shine, but due to the strength of the roster, he doesn’t get the opportunity to anymore.
Another guy that has been tucked deep into the Celtics’ depth is Daniel Theis. Currently averaging 15.2 minutes per game, nothing on the stat sheet will jump out, at least until you examine his per 36 minutes stats, where he averages 16.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 0.8 steals. Those stats, factored in with him shooting 58.1 percent from the field and 46.8 percent from 3, make him an underappreciated weapon. He currently has the 33rd highest Real Plus-Minus in the NBA at +2.75.
Marcus Morris has also fallen into this category. Having a breakout year, Morris is averaging 14.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.
Players not gaining the recognition and minutes they deserve can and will affect the team’s chemistry. Head coach Brad Stevens will have to get to work and manage these egos in order to get this team back on track.