Boston Celtics: Will a lack of bench production ultimately spell their doom?
By John Ryan
The bench is an unstable element for the Boston Celtics going forward. If they can get productive minutes from their second unit, they are contenders.
The Boston Celtics fell short to the Houston Rockets in overtime on Saturday night. Like any loss, there were a number of reasons the Celtics were unable to hold on to their early lead. However, what stood out was the Celtics inability to find production from their second unit. In an overtime regular season game, head coach Brad Stevens was able to only call the name of four bench players, who combined to score just four points.
Unfortunately, this was not an outlier performance. The Celtics’ second unit has been outscored in each of the Celtics last six games. Even in a double-digit win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the second unit was only able to contribute 10 combined points.
One main factor at play is Kemba Walker‘s absence. The last time the Celtics second unit outpaced their opponents was also the last game Kemba Walker played in. While Walker himself is a starter, inserting Marcus Smart into the starting lineup has made the Celtics’ second unit look much thinner by default.
The bench’s lack of production makes it easy to wonder whether Danny Ainge will look at the buy-out market for answers. But in his interview with Adam Himmelsbach, Ainge seems hesitant to make a move.
"“We like our guys right now and the likelihood is we’ll stay as we are. But we could sign anybody that’s in the G League or playing overseas. Or anyone who has already [been bought out] could still be available. So we’re going to take our time. There’s nobody that we for sure want to sign right now.” (Boston Globe)."
Part of the reason the Celtics will be viewed as threats to come out of the Eastern conference is because of how much firepower they have on the offensive end. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kemba Walker are all averaging over 20 points per game for the season. Gordon Hayward is another dynamic scorer who is putting up 17.1 points per game.
But still, it’s easy to look at the bench and wonder who can create their own shot. Brad Wanamaker has been solid, but is not the player you can rely on to get you a bucket on his own. Romeo Langford has been a good defender, but is still developing on the offensive end. Grant Williams and Enes Kanter have been good rotational bigs but neither are a guy you can count on for points on a given night.
"“Bench scoring overall I think is overrated,” Ainge said. “The question is, do you have enough scoring? And I think we’re the fourth or fifth-rated scoring team in the NBA last I checked, and we haven’t had our team together. So when people start classifying bench scoring, no, team scoring is all that really matters. And we haven’t been able to start our five best players much all season because of injuries, so our bench has been weakened, so I’m confident that we have enough.” (Boston Globe)."
While a move on the buy-out market could still happen, this quote from Ainge seems to hint that they are happy with the team as currently constructed. Going into the postseason it’s very likely that the Celtics are without a go-to bench scorer. Instead, they will rely on their starters to shoulder the load throughout the entire 48 minutes.
To close out the season, Stevens is going to have to find ways to implement bench players in ways that he can utilize come playoff time. For example, Wanamaker as an early substitute for Walker to make sure there are still other playmakers on the court around him. Maximizing the most out of different lineups while getting his stars short periods of rest is going to be vital in the Celtics success this postseason.
Stevens will also have to find a way to rest his starters while fighting the Toronto Raptors for the number two seed in the East. The Boston Celtics enter Tuesday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets only a half-game back of the Raptors. Getting the two seed will be crucial for the Celtics. Getting to play the Nets in the first round is a much easier draw than teams like the Indiana Pacers or Philadelphia 76ers. However, Stevens can not burn out the starters with heavy minutes down the stretch.
Even if Ainge thinks bench scoring is overrated, the bench is going to have to step up down the stretch in some capacity. The bench is an X-factor for the Celtics going forward. If they can get productive minutes out of guys like Wanamaker, Langford, Grant Williams, and Kanter, then the Boston Celtics are legitimate threats. But, if the starters are expected to carry the load every single night, it will be tough to beat a team as deep as the Milwaukee Bucks.