End-of-Season Grades for Each Boston Celtics Player
Let's give credit where it's due for another year of Boston Celtics progress.
The 82-game marathon hasn't concluded just yet, but Boston's 2015-16 body of work is largely defined by now. The internal pecking order, which fluctuated during long periods of the season, has been established, and it will likely persist as the Celtics march into the playoffs.
Boston has drawn strength from a deep roster that features many capable contributors. The freedom to shake things up has been a luxury for head coach Brad Stevens but also caused more than a few headaches before he discovered the appropriate balance. A tug of war for minutes across every position provides healthy competition but can also result in personal slumps and unsteady play.
A player's projected role going into the season weighs the most in this type of exercise. Cracking the rotation may warrant a high grade for a rookie, while an experienced veteran has to accomplish considerably more for the same estimation. While the players are ranked in order of perceived importance, we doled out grades based on individual expectations and whether they met the demands.
15-11 Backups
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15. Coty Clarke
Boston recently picked up Coty Clarke on a pair of 10-day contracts but is not expected to keep him when the latest one expires, according to the Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach. He has only played six minutes of garbage time, which doesn't warrant a grade.
Grade: N/A
14. James Young
Other than a brief stretch at the beginning of the season, James Young has mostly sat on the bench. That's a disappointment, considering he showed some promise during his rookie campaign. Even though he is energetic, he has trouble guarding NBA wings, and it's difficult to pinpoint a single unique skill that he brings on offense. Boston has a deep backcourt, and it's difficult to envision Young having a long future with the team.
Grade: D
13. Jordan Mickey
Everyone has been itching to see Jordan Mickey play, but a deep frontcourt has mostly deterred that and kept him out of the rotation. Still, the rookie has occasionally made his way out of the NBA Development League and doesn't look out of place when he does. He is an athletic big with a jumper and certainly someone who should be part of Boston's future plans.
Grade: C+
12. Terry Rozier
Terry Rozier showed potential as an explosive scorer in college, but he hasn't been able to translate that success to the NBA. Even though he has gotten an opportunity to play lately, his shooting numbers are atrocious (27.4 percent from the field). His small build (6'2", 190 lbs) doesn't do him any favors when he attacks the rim, and he is still a long way from being an effective player.
Grade: C
11. R.J. Hunter
It may seem unfair to rank R.J. Hunter a spot ahead of Rozier, but the recency bias of minutes shouldn't be a factor. Both have played a similar amount of time, and Hunter has looked more serviceable. He is bigger and stronger, which has helped him display flashes of good screening, cutting and set execution.
Grade: C+
10-6 Bench Cogs
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10. Tyler Zeller
Recency bias applies to Tyler Zeller perhaps more than any other Celtic. He has had some strong performances in the last couple of months, showing off his explosive rim-rolling in particular. However, he has still been a disappointment overall.
Zeller began the year with lofty expectations following a solid 2014-15 campaign with Boston, but he quickly lost his starter role. There is little he can bring to the table that another Celtic doesn't already have, and that has led to sporadic playing time.
Grade: D
9. Jonas Jerebko
Jonas Jerebko's season trajectory has been the polar opposite to that of Zeller's. Sure, he can't boast many monster performances, but the Swede has secured consistent playing time, which is no easy task in a loaded frontcourt.
Jerebko shot just 36.7 percent from the field in November but managed to break out of the slump and has been a reliable marksman ever since. He is the Celtics' second-best three-point shooter this year at 40 percent, a nice figure for a multi-skilled forward.
Grade: B
8. Evan Turner
Evan Turner has been a polarizing player most of his career. It's a well-known fact that he can fill a stat sheet, but translating the numbers to winning basketball plays has always been the next step. He has made huge progress in that department.
Turner can carry the Celtics with explosive scoring, but he now happily yields the spotlight whenever a teammate catches fire. Boston can also rely on his prowess in the post to manufacture offense in late-game situations.
Grade: B+
7. Kelly Olynyk
Kelly Olynyk, while not particularly athletic or flashy, has a modern big man's coveted tools. Seven-footers who can shoot, pass and drive to the basket are rare, and those skills have complemented Boston's offense.
He is the Celtics' best three-point shooter at 40.7 percent, but he somehow still manages to spring open for plenty of open looks. That creates an impossible predicament whenever Stevens slots Olynyk next to four mobile floor-spacers.
Grade: B+
6. Marcus Smart
Marcus Smart's evolution as a player has been slightly derailed due to injuries. His three-point shooting is historically poor (24.7 percent on 4.1 attempts per game), and his offensive game is erratic in general. However, he remains the Celtics' pet project, and he has shown enough to inspire excitement moving forward.
He displays flashes of intriguing versatility, as he did during a triple-double performance in the 117-103 win against the Phoenix Suns on January 15. Smart is a brave rebounder despite his size (6'4", 220 lbs), is improving his court vision and is tough to stop when he sees an open lane. He is an extraordinary defender already, and a steadier offensive game could make him an All-Star in the future.
Grade: B-
5. Amir Johnson
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Amir Johnson joined the team as a placeholder when the Celtics struck out on big fish last summer, but he has turned out to be a great fit.
The Celtics rank fourth in the league in defensive efficiency, surrendering 100.7 points per 100 possessions, according to ESPN's Hollinger stats. While Smart, Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder work their magic on the perimeter, Johnson takes care of the leaks at the rim.
Opponents connect on just 46.7 percent of their shots at the basket with Johnson defending it, according to NBA.com. That ranks him 14th in the league among players who contest at least five attempts per game. He isn't a flashy shot-blocker, but Johnson has a great feel for the game and is always swift in his rotations.
He plays just 22.8 minutes per game as the starting center, but that is mostly a case of Stevens creatively utilizing all his bigs.
Grade: B+
4. Jared Sullinger
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Jared Sullinger came into this season with the extra motivation of a contract year. He hasn't made much progress in the statistical department, but he does appear more engaged than ever.
The big concern has always been Sullinger's weight and conditioning. He rocked a pudgy frame in his first three seasons, but his physique does appear more streamlined this year. Even though his minutes and offensive responsibilities have decreased, he is still effective.
Boston ranks 20th in league rebounding percentage, per NBA.com, but it could be even worse without Sullinger. He has firmly established himself among the elite when it comes to cleaning the glass, taking down 19 percent of available boards, the 17th-best mark in the league.
Sullinger can be mixed and matched with most lineups. He functions nicely when paired with Johnson, and the Celtics put up what would be the 11th-ranked rebounding percentage when the two share the court. He can also fill the duties of a center when Crowder, or another stretch-4, moves to power forward.
Overall, Sullinger is a crucial cog in Boston's rotation. An improved jumper would've certainly raised his stock going into the summer, but he's had a solid season nonetheless.
Grade: B
3. Avery Bradley
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Bradley was drafted in 2010 as a feisty defender with a bleak offensive arsenal, but he has developed into one of the finest two-way shooting guards in the league.
He didn't come into the season with a new set of tools, opting to polish the ones he already had instead. Bradley looks a lot more confident when he attacks off the bounce, which has long been a frustrating flaw for such an athletic guy. His shooting stroke is smooth, and he is automatic on his pull-ups when curling around screens or punishing bigs who sag on the pick-and-roll.
Even with a bigger scoring responsibility on his shoulders, defense remains Bradley's specialty. He never takes a possession off and hounds his prey all around the perimeter. Critics are certainly taking notice, and BBallBreakdown.com even compared him to Kawhi Leonard.
Bradley isn't as long as Leonard, but the comparison is valid. Both have an incredible ability to navigate around screens and constantly force turnovers against elite ball-handlers.
This is Bradley's sixth season, yet he is only 25 and keeps improving. As the league collectively recognizes his talent, he should become a perennial contender for the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Grade: A
2. Isaiah Thomas
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Even though Boston can attribute a lot of its offensive progress to a team-centered scheme, the system would undoubtedly collapse without Isaiah Thomas' creative wizardry. Jay King of MassLive.com described the point guard's play: "We probably don't spend enough time discussing Thomas' offensive versatility, the way he scores inside and out, with the ball or off it. We don't mention it because it's like snow in the winter or waves at the beach; it would only be strange if it stopped."
It's true—Boston has been a little spoiled, and it's important to not take what Thomas does for granted. He has been an iron man, not missing a single game so far, but his brief breaks on the bench tell a scary story.
The Celtics score 106.5 points per 100 possessions with the guard on the court and just 98 when he sits, per NBA.com. That's the difference between sixth and 29th in offensive efficiency.
The 5'9" guard has an endless bag of tricks and can shake most defenders. It's normal for ball-dominant players to disconnect when they pass, but Thomas remains engaged and a threat, both as a cutter and a floor-spacer.
Teams with lengthy wings can sometimes suffocate and slow down Thomas' explosiveness, but he has still been a gem since joining the Celtics.
Grade: A
1. Jae Crowder
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Considering how good Thomas has been, it may seem bold, yet certainly not unreasonable, to anoint Crowder as the Celtics' best player.
Perhaps the best way to measure an individual's importance to a group is to subtract him from the equation. That has certainly been the case with the Celtics, as they lost their sting and appeared completely lost in Crowder's absence, who missed a couple of weeks with an ankle sprain.
Boston was outscored by 1.8 points per 100 possessions in a recent 10-game stretch with Crowder missing nine of those contests. That's a below-average mark, and the most noticeable slip has been on the defensive end.
Even though Bradley and Smart can handle a lot of the burden on the perimeter, they are still occasionally overwhelmed without the starting small forward. Crowder's ability to contain perimeter threats and bigger players provides Stevens with the luxury of fielding three-guard lineups. With such a crucial defensive stopper out, opponents with size have exposed those small groups.
Crowder's development on the offensive end has also been essential to the Celtics' growth. He is a reliable three-point shooter (34.5 percent), a terrific cutter and an overall versatile threat. He doesn't manufacture shots on his own, but he is still a catalyst who oils the machine.
Grade: A+
All statistics are courtesy of NBA.com, unless otherwise noted, and accurate as of April 4.
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