Celtics player grades before the playoff push

The Boston Celtics are 39-16, fifty-fivegames right into a stable (if very barely disappointing) title protection. The staff has fortunately shaken off a brutal second quarter, getting into the All-Star break on a 7-1 stretch that’s seen Jayson Tatum enjoying a number of the greatest ball of the yr.

Two-thirds into the season, it looks as if a great time to take inventory of how the roster has been performing with some participant grades.

Notice that I grade on a curve. These marks are relative to expectations and previous efficiency; gamers don’t get an A merely for possessing expertise. If we all know somebody is able to constant excellence, flashes gained’t minimize it. I need gamers to fulfill or exceed the excessive expectations that earlier successes have engendered.

I’ve been accused of being a jerk harsh grader prior to now, however pretend nice-guy stuff is how the Chicago Bulls preserve being the Chicago Bulls. Actual groups and followers can take an unflinching have a look at their rosters, and I’ve tried to try this right here. That mentioned, these are all the time subjective, so be at liberty to share your grades within the feedback!

Jayson Tatum: A

Tatum has been a top-5 participant within the NBA but once more this season, and it appears like he’s cruising towards one other All-NBA First Staff end. His capturing effectivity (58.9% true capturing is simply barely above league common) hasn’t been elite due to a barely subpar season from deep (35.8% from lengthy vary), but it surely’s greater than adequate given the sheer quantity of pictures he places up.

The protection is regular, as all the time. Tatum’s willingness to sometimes defend opposing facilities (with zero complaints, in contrast to sure different forwards) lets head coach Joe Mazzulla do some funky issues schematically. His rebounding has been typically elite, and the passing has noticeably improved, carrying over from final yr’s playoffs.

His endurance and processing velocity are top-tier, however the technical enhancements, like hitting shooters proper of their pocket from throughout the courtroom, are much more eye-catching:

It appears like Tatum can get a dunk at any time when he desires, which is why a number of the side-step threes might be so irritating to look at. In an ideal world, Tatum would continually redline his aggression ranges, however he’s been greater than adequate on this one.

Jaylen Brown: C

Please don’t twist my intent right here. I’m not saying by any implies that Brown’s been a foul participant this yr, however there’s no getting round the truth that Brown has had a down season by his outstanding requirements. That being the case, I can’t justify a excessive mark.

His on-ball protection stays wonderful, and he has had by far the perfect passing season of his profession, displaying actual development as a playmaker and decision-maker. The passing has persistently been a serious weak point for Brown, so seeing him make such a leap this far into his profession is encouraging.

Nevertheless, Brown can be having the worst three-point capturing yr of his profession. Whereas his ending has improved not too long ago, that is additionally his worst two-point capturing season since 2018. Brown hasn’t had as many hammer yams on fools as prior to now, and his dunk charge is sort of half of what it was final season. After all, accidents have performed an element, however Brown hasn’t appeared fairly the identical even when wholesome.

His off-ball protection has additionally dramatically regressed to the purpose the place superior metrics like EPM now assume he’s an actively dangerous defender general. That may be overstating it, however groups have been focusing on Brown in transition and with off-ball motion to generally grotesque impact. Twice in a row, the Hawks exploited Jaylen Brown’s lazy protection in embarrassing style, prompting a livid Mazzulla timeout:

Yikes.

Once more, I’m not saying that Brown ought to be a benchwarmer. Maybe a while off will get him proper bodily, as he’s battled shoulder and knee illnesses all year long. However all in all, the Celtics are accustomed to — and wish — extra.

Derrick White — B+

Derrick White continues to up his three-point quantity to obscene heights, and he’s nonetheless canning them with regularity. In truth, the protection has slipped only a tad, however there’s nonetheless no sight fairly like White obliterating hubris-driven would-be dunkers on the rim:

White has regularly expanded his offensive recreation whereas being both the perfect or second-best defender on the staff yearly since he arrived, and his recreation — predicated on capturing and intelligence — ought to age like tremendous vino. I’ve liked watching his confidence blossom over time to the purpose the place he’s prepared to take pictures usually reserved for mononymous superstars:

Maybe Payton Pritchard’s swagger has rubbed off on him.

Jrue Vacation — D+

That is powerful to put in writing, as I’m as massive a Vacation fan as there’s. However he’s noticeably a half-step slower on protection this season (nonetheless good!), and the decline in three-point capturing has been so extreme that groups have had no problem stashing a middle on him. The Celtics’ offensive ranking falls off a cliff like a bad-luck bungee jumper at any time when he’s on the ground (an offensive on/off of -10.5 is within the fifth percentile). Whereas that’s partly as a result of Payton Pritchard’s incandescence and accidents, together with a balky shoulder, Vacation merely hasn’t been adequate on that finish.

Vacation stepped his recreation up within the playoffs final season, and it’s greater than doable he can do this once more. He may be saving his greatest for when it issues most. 55 video games into his age-34 season, nonetheless, Vacation hasn’t practically lived as much as his earlier requirements.

Payton Pritchard: A+

Who may have seen this coming?

There have been occasions this season the place Pritchard has legitimately been the Celtics’ second-most-important participant. His capturing, pace-pushing, and sneering audacity slot in any lineup permutation — it’s not stunning that six of the highest eight lineups he’s utilized in most have outscored opponents by not less than 20 factors per 100 possessions (the Celtics’ web ranking as an entire is +9.4).

Pritchard has deserted all pretense of being a table-setter. He’s on the courtroom to do two issues: get buckets and chew bubblegum. Sadly for opponents, he’s all out of Wrigley’s.

The three-point capturing has been so vibrant that it’s blinded individuals to Pritchard’s different notable enhancements. For the second yr in a row, he’s been a legitimately freaky finisher on the rim, utilizing his tiny shoulders as mean-spirited battering rams to release simply sufficient area to squeeze in a layup:

Pritchard virtually by no means turns the ball over and assaults the offensive glass like a miniature Thompson Triplet. I’ll by no means tire of seeing him squirt out from a dogpile with a reside dribble.

He can get picked on defensively; that’s true for anybody his dimension. However I don’t assume there’s far more Pritchard can do on that finish, and he’s been so unimaginable offensively that he’s truly closed just a few video games over Vacation.

Even with a current relative swoon, Pritchard was by far my best grade.

Kristaps Porzingis: B

It didn’t take lengthy for KP to return to kind (offensively, not less than) following a prolonged damage absence, and he’s been capturing the Wilson brand off the ball from deep. Per Synergy, he’s scoring 1.21 factors on each post-up shot, too, a top-notch mark.

Nevertheless, the staff has suffered tremendously at any time when Porzingis is within the lineup on either side. A few of that’s dangerous luck — opponents shoot 39% from deep when KP is on the ground, an unusually excessive quantity. That’s not fully his fault, however Porzingis has not been tight in pick-and-roll protection this yr. There have been extra communication breakdowns than final season, and whether or not that’s KP’s fault or not, he’s usually concerned:

If Pritchard was my best grade, Porzingis was the toughest. If you wish to transfer him a full letter grade up or down, I wouldn’t put up an enormous struggle.

Al Horford: C+

Like Vacation, Horford’s age (39!) is beginning to present. He’s right down to 35% from three and has clearly misplaced a step on protection.

That mentioned, the Celtics are nonetheless elite on either side when he’s on the ground. Opposing groups would nonetheless slightly assault different gamers on protection and are reluctant to depart Horford alone on offense utterly. I’d be mendacity if I mentioned I wasn’t nervous about what may occur to him within the playoffs, however maybe he can flip the swap.

Sam Hauser: B+

Hauser struggled out of the gates however discovered his shot and his confidence six weeks in. Apparently, he’s grow to be much more one-dimensional this season, as he’s capturing fewer than one two-pointer per recreation; maybe that’s merely a byproduct of the staff’s general emphasis on placing up big numbers of threes.

Regardless, whereas Hauser has been regular in his function, I can’t utterly low cost the primary a part of the season, both.

Luke Kornet: A-

Kornet has nimbly maintained his spot because the third massive on the roster behind Porzingis and Horford regardless of sturdy stretches from Neemias Queta. His underrated rim safety, offensive rebounding, and sure-handed finishes on the rim present a dependable enhance night time in and night time out.

If something, I want the staff would attempt to characteristic Kornet extra on offense. He has some underutilized expertise, and his teammates look him off extra usually than I like.

He has his occasional struggles, and coach Mazzulla is greater than prepared to swap in a unique participant if Kornet isn’t in the best matchup. However on the finish of the day, the staff outscores opponents by practically 14 factors per 100 possessions when Kornet is on the courtroom, the best mark of any main rotation participant.

Neemias Queta: B+

Queta all the time brings drive and power, two issues the Celtics usually want. Typically, which means he’s crashing the boards, laying the toughest screens on the staff, and sprinting for lobs. Sometimes, it means he’s fouling the bejeezus out of opponents and working in random instructions like a decollated hen.

However you’re taking the dangerous with the great, and we’ve seen way more of the latter than the previous this season. He’s a situational participant who deserves credit score for the true enchancment he’s proven this season.

Drew Peterson: B

Peterson hasn’t had a variety of burn, however he’s typically made essentially the most of it. The capturing is promising, however he’s additionally had just a few defensive moments that I’ve discovered mildly intriguing.

Jordan Walsh: D+

The nasty protection is actual. Walsh can fly across the courtroom, smack away lazy pictures, and harass ballhandlers. He has the dimensions and quickness to compete throughout not less than three positions. In his very restricted minutes, he’s averted foul bother this yr, a earlier bugaboo.

However the offense stays woeful. Walsh has the goal of a drunken snake. It’s affecting his confidence. Everybody loves the try-hard defender archetype, however Walsh has to convey one thing to the desk offensively to earn actual minutes. Proper now, I’m unsure that even Walsh is aware of what that may very well be.

Xavier Tillman: D-

Tillman has been handily surpassed within the rotation by each Kornet and Queta. He’s barely performed and has appeared horrible in his restricted minutes.

I nonetheless assume Tillman’s perimeter switching may make him an intriguing wildcard within the playoffs, however he hasn’t even achieved that notably effectively in his scant alternatives.

Baylor Scheierman: Incomplete

We’ve barely seen the first-round decide this season, and that shouldn’t be a shock. The Celtics have Sam Hauser and Drew Peterson as depth bench gunners, who’ve shot extra precisely and defended much better.

We’ll examine again in a yr or two.

JD Davison: Incomplete

I can’t assign a letter grade to somebody with 24 minutes of enjoying time. That’s a great factor for Davison, who continues to wrestle on the NBA stage.