Boston Celtics: A Player-By-Player Breakdown of What Makes Them So Dominant
The Boston Celtics have shown this season that the right way to create a super-team is not by dropping three superstars into a team with no other class players. It is by constructing a deep and talented core around a few star players.
The Celtics have constructed one of the few teams that have a chance to beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals. After taking the Lakers to seven games last year, Boston has added a few players to make up for the teams previous short-comings.
While Boston has proved it can be as good as the sum of its parts, a deconstruction of the team at this stage of the season is warranted.
Paul Pierce, SF
1 of 13
Averages
Minutes; 36.3
Rebounds; 4.9
Assists; 2.9
Steals; 0.5
Blocks; 0.6
Points; 19.7
Shaquille O'Neal nicknamed Paul Pierce "The Truth" for a reason.
He is able to fill in wherever the team needs him to. Almost any shortcoming can be filled by Pierce's game, which, as the statistics tell, is one of the best all-round games in the NBA.
Pierce's game is also relatively low stress on his body, which means that he is rarely injured and that even at a veteran age, he can still play a game that is very similar to his game in his prime.
Ray Allen, SG
2 of 13
Averages
Minutes: 38
Rebounds: 3.4
Assists: 3.4
Steals: One
Blocks; 0.2
Points; 16.7
Ray Allen suffers from mild obsessive compulsive disorder, and it shows in his shooting, averaging a massive 2.4 three points a game, a .476 field goal percentage and .892 percent from the free throw line.
Recently, it seems that Allen will absorb the hole left when Delonte West broke his hand, playing a massive 43 minutes in the Celtics first game without West (since his return, obviously).
Ray is a deadly shooter and looks to snap up Reggie Miller's three point record some time soon.
Kevin Garnett, PF
3 of 13
Averages
Minutes: 33
Rebounds: 9.3
Assists: 1.9
Steals: 1.7
Blocks: 0.6
Points: 15.7
Kevin Garnett is a former MVP and one of the most intense and competitive players in the NBA.
Last season he was recovering from a knee injury, and he was the biggest variable in analysts predicting the success or failure of the Boston Celtics in the 2010/2011 season.
There was no need to worry. It seems Garnett has a list of all the players who bested him while he was still recovering, and now he is out to get revenge. Garnett will never be 2003 Garnett again, and no one is expecting him to be, but this season, he has showed us once again why fans of the Celtics love him and why almost everyone else hates him.
Shaquille O'Neal, C
4 of 13
Averages
Minutes: 22.7
Rebounds: 7
Assists: 0.7
Steals: 0.5
Blocks: 0.6
Points: 12.3
At 38, you can't really call Shaquille O'Neal the "Big Diesel" anymore.
Shaq was drafted in order to make up for the giant hole Kendrick Perkins left in the Celtics line-up when he was injured in the Finals. He has more than filled in; "The Big Shamrock" has thrived amongst the veterans at Boston.
He certainly isn't the same Shaq we saw playing at Cleveland last season. While there was a lot of skepticism about bringing Shaq to an already advanced in age Celtics team, all skepticism has faded, and Shaq has bought a renewed energy and positive outlook to the team.
Rajon Rondo, PG
5 of 13
Averages
Minutes: 39.2
Rebounds: 4.8
Assists: 14.2
Steals: 2.5
Blocks: 0.2
Points: 10.6
Rondo has cemented his place as the future of the Boston Celtics franchise in the past two seasons and continues to do so.
Despite having some early injury issues, Rondo is setting the standard as far as creating plays and hence assists. The highest average assists per game in a season is held by John Stockton in '89-'90 with 14.5. At this stage of the season, Rondo is only 0.3 behind that; can he keep it up though? As long as Garnett, Pierce and Allen can keep consistently put up big numbers, there is no reason why not.
He is currently average a double-double and could be the best point guard in the league if he could develop a consistent jump shot.
Glen Davis, C
6 of 13
Averages
Minutes: 29.3
Rebounds: 4.8
Assists: 1.2
Steals: One
Blocks: 0.4
Points: 10.4
Glen Davis has been one of the most surprising members of the Boston Bench Mob this season.
Before the season started, "Big Baby" told the media that he wasn't sure where he was going to fit in the team and certainly made fans more than a little nervous by showing his lack of focus.
He has been seeing big numbers, though, with Kendrick Perkins out and aging centres. He has proved himself by putting up decent numbers and providing a big, intimidating on-court presence.
Nate Robinson, PG/SG
7 of 13
Averages
Minutes: 15.7
Rebounds: 1.2
Assists: 2.3
Steals: 0.1
Blocks: 0
Points: 7.5
"Super-Nate" got to show off his skills and got some serious court time as starting point guard when Rondo was injured. It seems he has finally found his place.
While Robinson won't see too many minutes with a healthy Rondo, he will certainly be first off the bench in the point guard position with Delonte West out indefinitely with a broken hand.
Robinson has bought more than a speedy and energetic on court presence. Along with Shaq, he has bought a different, more positive attitude into the Celtics locker room.
Marquis Daniels, SF/SG
8 of 13
Averages
Minutes: 17.3
Rebounds: 2.1
Assists: 0.9
Steals: 0.8
Blocks: 0.4
Points: 4.7
Marquis Daniels is a bench veteran, but in his second season as a Celtic, he has played his most important game in Boston.
With Rondo and West out and Robinson having foul trouble, Daniels was playing the point guard position against the New Jersey Nets. Arguably, it was his excellent third quarter that boosted Boston from their poor first half to a 89-83 win. While Daniels' numbers were modest, anyone watching could see his game saving play.
Having a guy like Daniels on the bench, with an ability to come on and breath life into the team late in a game, is a real positive for an aging team like Boston.
Semih Erden, C
9 of 13
Averages
Minutes: 11.6
Rebounds: 1.9
Assists: 0.7
Steals: 0.2
Blocks: 0.2
Points: 3.5
With the signing of Shaquille O'Neal and Jermaine O'Neal, no one thought the Turkish Semih Erden would become as important this season as he has.
With Jermaine O'Neal injured and Shaq on limited minutes, the Celtics have come to rely on Erden to provide a strong low-post presence when Shaq is on the bench. His game against the Thunder was an NBA career highlight, with nine points and four rebounds. He also played excellently against the Wizards, with nine points and three rebounds.
Once Jermaine O'Neal and Kendrick Perkins return from their injuries, we won't see much more from Erden, though with an aging team, he may be brought in from time to time to rest the O'Neals.
Avery Bradley, SG/PG
10 of 13
Averages
Minutes: Six
Rebounds: One
Assists: One
Steals: One
Blocks: Zero
Points: Two
For an average of six minutes a game, Bradley's statistics are actually quite decent, and he could evolve into quite a good player.
Bradley was one hell of a high school player, even ranking number one in the ESPNU100, and despite not being as explosive in college, Bradley has some time to develop and hopefully pick up a few minutes playing with the plethora of veterans on the Boston team.
Doc Rivers is a master at turning developing players into superstars (e.g. Rajon Rondo), and Bradley will hopefully grow into a role as a starter in a few seasons.
Luke Harangody, PF
11 of 13
Averages
Minutes: Three
Rebounds: One
Assists: Zero
Steals: Zero
Blocks: Zero
Points: 1.6
Celtics fans were upset at the loss of fan favourite Brian Scalabrine, but a big, white guy with a name with the same amount of syllables in Luke Harangody should heal their wounds.
Harangody has more talent than Scalabrine ever did though; he is the only player in the history of the Big East to average 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. He is not receiving much game time, with the Celtics level of depth, though if he works hard, he could become a great future investment.
Von Wafer, SG
12 of 13
Averages
Minutes: 5.3
Rebounds: 0.3
Assists: 0.3
Steals: 0.1
Blocks: Zero
Points: 1.2
"The Dutch Cookie's" biggest impact on the Boston Celtics thus far has been being punched by Delonte West in an off-court incident.
In his five year professional career, he has never really made much of an impact on any of the teams he has played with. Wafer is a good scorer and plays mean defence when he is switched on. Also, the fact that he believes he should be playing major minutes in a team as deep as Boston shows that he is in no way switched on.
He is a player that may be able to make an impact in a clutch game, and hopefully he proves himself a worthwhile pick-up.
The Injury Report
13 of 13
There are three missing and notable players from the previous slides; Delonte West, Kendrick Perkins and Jermaine O'Neal. Or as they are known, those on the long-term injury list.
All three are players that, when healthy, can make a massive impact on Boston, and hopefully they will all be back and healthy when it really counts: The Finals.
