Home » Boston Celtics: Lack of depth

Boston Celtics: Lack of depth

Publish Date: April 23, 2018

It was approximately five minutes into the season that the Boston Celtics lost Gordon Hayward for the season. Ever since then they have been shorthanded in the depth category. As the playoffs have gone on, the Celtics have gotten more and more depleted. Marcus Smart, Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and Daniel Theis have all missed significant time and are all out in this year’s playoffs. As the Celtics head back to Boston, they are looking for a spark in a few aspects to help them defeat the Milwaukee Bucks.

The increased roles of Terry Rozier and Marcus Morris:

For a very long time, Terry Rozier was thrust into a sixth of even seventh man role. He is now the Celtics starting point guard and averaging almost 11 more minutes in the playoffs compared to the regular season.

Marcus Morris is also being used more but also expected to score more. His minutes are up from 26.8 to 30 per game but his scoring has also been up. A guy who has scored over 20 just six times this season has already done it once in the playoffs. Two of the Celtics most important role players have been thrust into crucial and more important roles this postseason.

The Lack of Bench scoring:

The lack of depth is a huge part of this. The Boston Celtics just flat out aren’t getting scoring production from their bench. In game four they got just 15 total bench points, and 13 of those points were from before mentioned Marcus Morris. In game three and four combined the Celtics are getting outscored 81-49. Being that one of their best bench scorers is now their starting point guard, the bench scoring is bound to be lacking. However, the Celtics need someone who doesn’t normally step up to do just that.

The Worst possible draw:

Even though the Celtics are the two seed in the east, they have a very tough matchup. We have seen in previous seasons that different teams are tough to match up with and the Bucks are a difficult matchup for the Boston Celtics. The Celtics have gone with a center in 67 games this season, but the Bucks don’t play the same style.

Aron Baynes has been the starting big man alongside Al Horford. Even though he only averages 18 minutes, Baynes has been less productive in the playoffs. Milwaukee at many different times in a game uses Giannis Antetokounmpo as their center. Obviously, this isn’t a strong matchup for either Aron Baynes or for backup center Greg Monroe. Instead, Greg Monroe has played far less than his season average and Baynes has played more but less effectively.

This is the part of the program where Celtics fans can harp on just how much their team misses Daniel Theis.

Daniel Theis:

Photo Courtesy of USA Today.

Daniel Theis is a 6’9″ undrafted rookie who started to come into his own before he tore his meniscus. In 67 games this season, (3 starts) Daniel Theis averaged 5.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists. He played 14.3 minutes and seemed to have his best games. In his last three games before injury he averaged 12.3 points and 7 rebounds in 21 minutes. He was athletic enough to guard a guy like Giannis on the perimeter but could also guard Giannis in the post.

Despite being a role player, Theis could have played a huge role in this series.

No reason to panic:

The phrase is always “A series doesn’t start until a team wins on the road”. The Boston Celtics should not be worried. The role players have all proven to play much better at home compared to on the road. The Celtics still have home court advantage and whether the Celtics end up losing game three by 24 or 1 a loss is a loss. There is no reason for Brad Stevens and company to panic and if the Celtics can get a game 7 in Boston, I think they will be more than happy all things considered.

 

Featured image from NBC SPORTS.

You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from other great TGH writers along with Zach!

“From Our Haus to Yours”

Leave A Reply

* required
Read Also
Cleveland loses to Milwaukee 119-111
Despite the hot start, Cleveland loses this one to Milwaukee 119-111. Not ...
Four Takeaways From the Celtics’ Back-to-Back Wins
The Celtics have particularly struggled in back-to-back games this season. However, they ...
With 6 Games Left, Much Has Yet to be Decided for 76ers
There are just six games left for the Philadelphia 76ers in the ...
The Future Of Grant Williams In A Celtics Uniform
Grant Williams was a vital part of the Celtics' run to the ...
Why Joel Embiid Should be Sitting Out the All Star Game
After initially being snubbed as a starter in the All Star Game, ...
The Game Haus aims to bring unbiased, factually sound opinions to audiences across a range of mediums that are not readily accessible in the day-to-day media outlets. We cover the latest news in Gaming, Call of Duty, CS:GO, League of Legends, Dota 2, Fighting Games, NBA 2K, Halo, Hearthstone, Overwatch, Pokemon, Rocket League, Smite, Starcraft II, Fantasy Sports, MLS, EPL, MLB, NASCAR, NBA, NCAAB, NCAAF, NFL, NHL, and PGA.


Next to our unbiased coverage for esports and sports, have a look at our iGaming content. If you are looking for the most recommended Esports Betting Sites or Best Sports Betting Sites, look no further. We also cover the Best Sweepstakes Casinos in our free 2 play section and have a closer look at the Best DFS Sites out there. If you are looking for some real money options, check how we ranked the Best Online Casinos.


Follow us on Social Media for updates!
Sports: Facebook | Twitter
Esports: Facebook | Twitter

Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.

×
Your Promo Code:
The bonus offer of was already opened in an additional window. If not, you can open it also by clicking the following link:
Play now