Winners and Losers from Week 1 of Boston Celtics' Preseason
All the Boston Celtics have to do is keep up this pace and they're a shoo-in for the NBA championship...right?
Obviously we can't read much out of preseason play, but the Boston Celtics have looked impressive in their pair of 20-point wins over the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers.
Preseason play undeniably downplays the problems of such a young team, but many of Boston's expected key contributors have looked strong and the team has played well even without Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green.
This doesn't mean Boston is going to be a contender, or even a playoff team, but with its early success we can take a look at a few winners and losers from the new-look Celts.
Bearing in mind that players like Dwight Powell and Joel Anthony won't be seeing the floor in the regular season and that the 11-man rotation is not a real thing, let's take a second to look at who has impressed us early and who needs to step up his game.
Winner: Marcus Smart
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Marcus Smart’s offensive game left something to be desired in his preseason debut, but the sixth overall pick looked like a superstar defensively.
He may have missed all eight of his shots and chipped in a paltry two points, but Smart was a menace covering Philadelphia’s playmakers.
After the game, Brad Stevens told ESPNBoston’s Chris Forsberg, “He’s one of these guys that I think will get stronger as the game goes along defensively, and that’s hard to play against for the whole time.”
That’s high praise from a defense-first coach like Stevens, and it’s something fans should be excited about.
Most rookies struggle on the defensive end, but the 6’4” Smart is quick and tough enough to be an absolute nightmare covering both point guards and 2s.
He can fight through screens, has a knack for coming up with loose balls and can even apply pressure full court.
He even showed a willingness to sacrifice his body and draw charges.
The tandem of Smart and Avery Bradley should give Boston a dynamic defensive backcourt, and that could wind up being the Celtics’ best attribute.
Given the personnel this Boston team is not going to do much offensively, but they can stay in games by keeping the score low and creating easy baskets in transition.
Smart isn’t going to be an elite offensive player as a rookie, but he went a solid 4-for-8 in his second game and notched 11 points.
If he can find his rhythm offensively and improve as an outside shooter he could make Boston fans even more comfortable with the idea of life post-Rondo.
Loser: Tyler Zeller
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Tyler Zeller’s far from flashy, but the 7-footer was expected to be a big contributor for a Boston team that lacks a true center.
Zeller isn’t a stellar athlete, but he runs the floor well, plays hard on both ends and would provide the Celts with some sorely needed size around the rim.
While it was unlikely he would start to begin the year, many thought he could move into the first five if Kelly Olynyk or Jared Sullinger really struggled.
Through two games that has not been the case, as Zeller has played just 33 total minutes and is averaging four points and three rebounds on 3-of-7 shooting.
Obviously in the regular season players like Anthony, Powell and Erik Murphy won’t be getting consistent burn, but it’s troubling that Zeller has not been featured much.
Sullinger and Olynyk, even in two blowout wins, are averaging 20-plus minutes per game, a sign that Stevens wants them out there on the floor.
Since neither Olynyk nor Sully is intimidating shot-blockers, Zeller should get his share of minutes, but fans can’t be too inspired by his lack of run and inconsistent play.
Winner: Evan Turner
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The Evan Turner signing wasn’t exactly a sexy move for Boston, but it made sense for both parties.
The Celtics needed a versatile wing player for cheap, and Turner needed to prove he was closer to the athlete we saw in Philadelphia than the absolute train wreck he was with the Indiana Pacers.
The deal was a low-risk, high-reward move by Boston, and the early dividends have been encouraging.
Turner hasn’t put up huge numbers, but he has been a reliable force in both games and excelled against Philly.
Versus his old team, Turner poured in 15 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, showcasing his all-around skill set.
His athleticism shined and he made good decisions with the ball in his hands.
Turner was quieter against the Knicks but still played with poise and wound up shooting a respectable 4-of-8.
Boston does not need Turner putting up all-star numbers, but it’s reassuring to see him playing well and within himself with Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green out of the lineup.
His main role during the regular season should be as a swingman off the bench who comes in and helps run the offense, and he has shown flashes of capability in that area.
It’s going to hurt Boston’s offense when he’s on the floor alongside Rondo and Bradley, but it is always nice to have another capable passer and finisher in the lineup.
Turner may never capitalize on the promise that made him a second overall pick, but if he excels as a jack-of-all-trades off the Celtics’ bench then his signing can be viewed as a major success.
Loser: James Young
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It is entirely likely James Young will begin his NBA career having only played 20 minutes of professional basketball.
Young sat out the entire Orlando Summer League and is now hampered by a hamstring injury, per ESPNBoston’s Chris Forsberg.
Young, who averaged 14.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game at Kentucky, is a rare talent, but he’s also just 19 years old and not nearly ready for the league.
He is rail thin and incredibly raw on both ends. He’s far from a marksman and needs to develop a more versatile offensive game.
He also will struggle mightily to defend bigger 2-guards and small forwards since he weighs just 216 pounds.
He posted 10 points against Philly and drilled a trio of three-pointers, but he did not play a minute against New York.
As valuable as practicing and having veterans like Rondo and Green in your ear is, the only way for Young to truly get a feel for the league is by suiting up.
The chances of him making an immediate impact in 2014-15 were always slim; that’s just not how it works with mid-first-round picks, but it is now next to impossible.
Look at the Washington Wizards’ Otto Porter, who was held out during the summer with a hip injury and wound up putting together an absolutely woeful season for a third overall pick.
Young shouldn’t be that bad; he’s a decent shooter and a terrific athlete, but while Smart is out there validating his high draft status Young remains a complete question mark.
Hopefully we can see him play at least once more this preseason, because it’s difficult to foresee Stevens putting much faith in an unknown quantity like Young.
Winner: Jared Sullinger
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Boston needs a breakout year from Sullinger if it hopes to be competitive, and his early preseason showing has been pretty solid.
He poured in 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting against an overmatched New York front line and hauled in 13 boards against Nerlens Noel and the Sixers.
Obviously the competition stiffens up during the regular season, but seeing Sully dominate the game both on offense and on the glass is certainly a reason to have hope.
In 2013-14 he showed flashes of all-star potential but shot just 42.7 percent from the field.
As a stretch-4 he’s always going to be somewhat inefficient, but Sullinger needs to improve his stroke if he wants defenses to respect him beyond the arc.
So far he’s 3-of-6 on three-pointers in the preseason and also looks more confident taking the ball inside.
Green didn’t exactly turn heads as Boston’s first option offensively, so if Sullinger can improve as an all-around scorer he has a shot at being Boston’s featured player.
Look for him to build on his strong first two preseason games and have dark-horse all-star potential if the Celtics start the year better than expected.
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