Early-Season Report Cards for Boston Celtics' Key Prospects
The Boston Celtics are competitive in an improved Eastern Conference, despite the team's current foundation of prospects. Building around a young core can be fruitful, but developing everyone simultaneously is tough.
The Celtics' roster is the fifth-youngest in the NBA, with an average age of 24.5. Most teams tend to have a couple of youngsters who receive sufficient room to grow, but Boston is currently juggling that attention across its talent pool.
The Celtics are in an uncommon dilemma: They are good enough for playoff contention despite being in a rebuilding stage. It means that some guys who are worth an extended look haven't quite gotten a fair opportunity to dip their toes in the NBA waters.
Paul Flannery of SB Nation summed up Boston's conundrum well:
"The Celtics are what they are: A good but not great team that’s a pain in the neck to play against, but with a much thinner margin of error than most of their competitors."
The roles of Boston's young players vary greatly. Some are established and inching closer to veteran titles, while others remain raw rookies. Anyone 24 or younger qualifies for the prospect tag, and the expectations imposed on an individual are taken into account when handing out grades.
All statistics are accurate as of Dec. 21.
Rookies
1 of 5
Jordan Mickey
The Celtics coaching staff appears enthusiastic about the progress Jordan Mickey is making in the NBA D-League. The 6'8" big can contest shots at the rim, knock down jumpers and operate in the pick-and-roll. Those are valuable skills in the modern NBA.
Unfortunately, Mickey simply doesn't have a place in Boston's current rotation. There are at least six bigs ahead of him, and that's excluding any small-ball experiments with Jae Crowder or Jonas Jerebko at power forward. As a result, he has spent most of his time stashed in the D-League.
Injuries might open up a tiny window for Mickey to play some real NBA minutes, but he'll likely remain on the shelf this season. The 21-year-old's five total minutes aren't enough to grant him a grade.
Grade: —
Terry Rozier
Terry Rozier has been an inefficient chucker in his brief stints, and he only sees the floor in garbage time. He was a talented scorer in college, but a shoot-first mentality simply doesn't cut it in head coach Brad Stevens' pass-friendly system.
It's not an uncommon flaw for young ball-handlers who enter the league having carried major scoring loads in college. Rozier has looked a little overwhelmed and hasn't quite found his shooting touch. He has fallen out of the rotation completely, but Stevens isn't crucifying him:
"He wants really bad to make the right play and increase his opportunity like anyone else who’s not playing as much," Stevens said, per A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast SportsNet. "He’s still learning the quick read from that position in this league. That takes time. It’s a hard position to play out the gate. You don’t see many rookie point guards that are playing."
Grade: D
R.J. Hunter
Hunter may have a lower ceiling than Rozier, but he fits the Celtics' current needs better. He is a low-maintenance player, who Stevens feels comfortable throwing into complex flex action. He has Hunter screening and sprinting around the court to create havoc, and the rookie has filled in nicely in those sets.
His minutes are inconsistent, which isn't necessarily a knock on his play. With Marcus Smart on his way back from injury, Hunter's playing time will become more erratic. Even so, he's already earned some trust and isn't simply an afterthought.
Hunter has held his own defensively. He can be bullied by heavier guards, but he bothers ball-handlers and interrupts passing lanes with his length. He missed four games due to a hip injury in December, but he has gotten back on track since then.
Grade: B+
James Young
2 of 5
After playing a total of just six minutes during the first month of the season, James Young finally received a chance to make an impact. He is averaging 13.7 minutes per game in December, as Stevens has granted him some extended run with Hunter and Smart out.
Young is in his second year, but he's still just 20. His offensive skill set is raw, but underneath the surface lies some actual talent. Jay Larranaga, Boston's lead assistant, who has worked closely with Young, had the following to say on the young prospect, per Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald:
"He’s got great size, he’s a great kid, and he can really shoot the ball. And, you know, an underrated part of his game is how well he rebounds. He gets in there, he’s not afraid to bang and can get a rebound up above people."
Even though he hasn't shot the ball well yet, that will likely change when Young eventually breaks into the rotation—either this season or in the future. He has the size to guard multiple positions, and that versatility is valuable.
Young has sometimes fallen asleep on his matchup, especially when guarding cutters off the ball. But he is athletic and has shown an ability to recover, even during those momentary slips of focus. He hustles for loose balls and tries to do the intangibles.
He isn't forcing things offensively and is smart enough to move the ball for a better shot. Unselfish play grants you brownie points in Stevens' book, and it's positive to see Young buying into the concept.
After being glued to the bench early in the year, Young is on an upswing. That being said, he'll need more than a couple of positive showings to truly surpass expectations and earn a high grade.
Grade: C
Marcus Smart
3 of 5
Smart was poised for a breakout sophomore season, but his inability to avoid injury has hampered that progress.
The 21-year-old guard entered the season as the unquestionable pet project of the Celtics. Even with Isaiah Thomas itching to play, Boston was firmly committed to going through the inevitable growing pains with Smart as the lead playmaker.
Smart is already one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, but Boston needs a higher return on investment from its sixth overall selection in the 2014 NBA draft.
Smart is not ready to competently run a functional offense yet. He is reading the game better this year, but he isn't slicing defenses apart with creative passing. He is still a little out of control when driving to the rim, often opting for a bull-rush approach. A shaky jumper doesn't help the case, as opponents are happy to give him room to pull up.
There have been flashes of excellence. Smart has had some explosive scoring performances, all while remaining versatile and impactful in other aspects. Avoiding injury and building on that will be key.
Thomas and Avery Bradley have looked terrific as a backcourt pairing, and Smart will reportedly come off the bench when he is back, at least initially, per Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com. That's not concerning, as Boston will continue to invest a lot into Smart's development.
Grade: B-
Kelly Olynyk
4 of 5
Kelly Olynyk, 24, still fits the prospect label, but he hasn't necessarily elevated his game since last year. Increased frontcourt depth has hurt his playing time, and it's sometimes frustrating to see him fade in and out of games.
When Olynyk is assertive and aggressive, the Celtics thrive. Adam Kaufman of Boston.com sums up that notion from a statistical standpoint:
"But when the big man plays at least 20 minutes, the C’s are 9-2 (an .818 winning percentage). In those contests, Olynyk is averaging 13.8 points and 4.6 rebounds. He’s shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 43.2 percent from 3 in 24.4 minutes a night. He’s also attempting nearly 10.8 shots a game as compared to 7.9.
"
The numbers tell the story. There are times when Olynyk is electric on offense, timing his slips perfectly, knocking down shots and dancing his way to the rim past defenders. Then there are occasions when he becomes gun-shy and doesn't utilize any of that coveted mobility few 7-footers possess.
Since Stevens' sole objective is to win games, he doesn't ride it out when a player isn't performing up to par. The Celtics have an incredibly deep bench, and a couple of saggy possessions are enough for the head coach to experiment with another frontcourt combination.
Olynyk is shooting a career-high 36.7 percent from deep, and it's impossible to argue that he doesn't give Boston a lift when he's engaged and aggressive. Flipping that switch on permanently and growing into a more assertive role are the next steps.
Grade: B
Jared Sullinger
5 of 5
Jared Sullinger has been a tantalizing figure ever since he entered the league. He possesses plenty of talent, but his battle to stay in shape is well-documented at this point. He looks a little better in that regard, even though his frame hasn't changed much.
The biggest impact of Sullinger's offseason work is reflected in his rebounding. There is no loose ball he won't fight for, and that type of grit is admirable to watch.
Sullinger has grabbed 20.3 percent of available boards this season, the eighth-best figure in the league, per ESPN's Hollinger stats. He ranks 12th in rebounds per game, and only two players in the top 28 play fewer minutes than him.
While his knack for crashing the glass is undeniable, Sullinger has been a little polarizing offensively. Defenses surrender mid-range jumpers when he slips the pick-and-roll, and Sullinger has been bricking those shots on a regular basis. He is connecting on just 34.4 percent of his catch-and-shoot two-point field goals, per NBA.com's tracking data.
Having Sullinger pop out to the three-point line in those instances would help. Throwing him in the post, where he can also utilize his passing skills, is another efficient option. He has been the most consistent big in Boston's rotation and deserves credit nonetheless.
Grade: A-
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