Daniel Theis Impresses in Preseason Debut

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Excitement swirled around the debuts of Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Jayson Tatum and the new-look Boston Celtics on Monday as they defeated the Charlotte Hornets 94-82. Boston's starting lineup demonstrated terrific offensive potential, as Irving skillfully penetrated the lane, created scoring opportunities for teammates, and even threw down a dunk.

Aron Baynes drew the start alongside Al Horford in the frontcourt because of Marcus Morris’ ongoing legal case. The 6’10’’ Australian center made his presence felt with two offensive rebounds and a reliable midrange jumper that gradually drew Charlotte’s big men away from the paint. Baynes tallied 10 points and five boards in 18 minutes. He and Horford, two skilled shooting big men, opened up the floor for Irving and the other Celtics to operate near the hoop.

.@KyrieIrving showing off his hops 💪#NBAPreseason pic.twitter.com/EupSPXkQLz

— NBA TV (@NBATV) October 3, 2017

But while the basketball world was enamored with Boston’s new starting lineup, it was an unknown rookie off their bench that arguably had the biggest overall impact on the game.

Daniel Theis, the 25-year-old German forward who was quietly signed by the Celtics back in July, seized his first taste of NBA preseason action with terrific production, remarkable confidence, and fiery play. In 14 minutes, he quickly racked up 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists, one block, and one steal.

Playing alongside other international recruits and rookies, the 6'9'' Theis commanded a leadership role by frequently directing teammates and constantly staying active on offense to help space the floor while creating opportunities for offensive rebounds and second chance points.

Theis provided a glimpse of his potential, as well as a reminder that he led Brose Bamberg to three consecutive German League Championships over the last three years. He was named the league’s Best Defender last season and its Most Effective Player the year before that.

AP Photo/Steven Senne

Unlike many European big men who struggle with the transition from international leagues, Theis appears both mentally and physically ready to embrace the challenges of a faster paced game with rugged battles in the paint against seasoned veterans.

Jonas Jerebko played a valuable role for the Celtics over the past three seasons with energy, physicality, dedication, and a high basketball IQ. Theis appears to bring all those things, but in a younger and more athletic body with an ability to either shoot from deep or slam down tip-in dunks and alley-oops.

Theis has seemingly modeled aspects of his game to those of another great German basketball player. Dirk Nowitzki once utilized his unique blend of height, sharpshooting, and physicality to help usher in a new era of the NBA.

While Theis may not score as prolifically as his future Hall of Fame counterpart, he will do his best impression while providing terrific energy and some unexpected leadership for the young Celtics bench.

Boston appears poised for a great season. The additions of Irving and Hayward alongside Horford in the starting lineup make the Celtics incredibly difficult to defend, especially when role players like Theis and Baynes are knocking down open shots.

The Celtics needed frontcourt reinforcements after losing Jerebko and Kelly Olynyk in the offseason. Theis will still need to build on this performance in order to earn consistent minutes, but so far it appears that he and Baynes are ready to step into critical roles as two of Boston's best new big men.

Jae Crowder Leads the NBA in Three-Pointers Defended

This is the three-point era. NBA teams are utilizing versatile players and small ball lineups to attempt a higher percentage of three-pointers than ever before.

Due to the sharp increase in threes, some even believe that a four-point line should be implemented. This truly is the era of Steph Curry.

As teams rely increasingly on the three-point shot, the importance of defending the three-ball increases accordingly.

But closing out on perimeter shooters requires extraneous effort. It takes a special kind of player to consistently protect the three-point line.

Jae Crowder is special. In addition to locking down opposing scorers on a nightly basis, he currently leads the league in three-pointers defended with 4.9 three-point contests per game.

Charlotte’s Michael Kidd-Gilchrist ranks second in the category with 4.7, while Al Horford is a distant second-best on the Celtics with 3.3 per game.

Despite faltering against an underrated Detroit Pistons team last night, the Celtics have a 7-3 record when Crowder plays. His focus and determination facilitate defensive stops, which transition into fast break opportunities.

Furthermore, Crowder's unique blend of size, quickness and toughness makes him crucial in limiting opponents’ offensive production.

When Crowder went down with an ankle injury, the Celtics' physicality waned and they lost five out of eight games.

Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart may be relentless when it comes to harassing opposing ball handlers, but they lack the height to cover sharpshooting forwards and centers.

To overcome recurring size discrepancies, Crowder claims that the Celtics "have to get a little more nastier on the defensive end," to prevent opponents from feeling comfortable.

Crowder was understandably frustrated after the Pistons outrebounded the Celtics 52-33, while Boston uncharacteristically yielded more than 100 points for the third consecutive game.

But the energetic 6’6’’ combo forward is doing everything he can to combat the problem, utilizing his energy and versatility to defend both the perimeter and the post.

Crowder's passionate defensive play partially explains his +35 plus-minus rating for the season, which is second-best on the team. Only Horford has a better rating, with an astounding +59.

But in addition to defending three-pointers, Crowder is knocking them down.

Crowder has converted 38% of his three-point attempts this season, noticeably better than his 34% mark last year. He is astonishingly one of seven Celtics players shooting at least 37% from beyond the arc.

In contrast, only Kelly Olynyk and Jonas Jerebko accomplished that last season.

Shooting percentages typically fluctuate over the course of a long season, so while the Celtics have demonstrated flashes of brilliance, they clearly still have room to improve.

Nevertheless, fierce competitors like Crowder enable the Celtics to contend against the league's top teams.

As the Celtics continue to progress from early season injuries, they will develop into a dynamic and cohesive unit that challenges the Eastern Conference elite.

Crowder has grown into a veteran leader and a lockdown defender for this young Celtics team.

Watch for him to set the defensive tone early on Friday night, by putting the clamps on Rudy Gay, leaving DeMarcus Cousins to fend for himself when the hapless Sacramento Kings come to Boston.

Opening Thoughts

The wait is over and basketball season is back.  The Celtics finished their preseason with a promising 6-1 record and tonight they seek to carry that momentum into the regular season.  The game takes place at 7:30 pm in Boston against the lowly 76ers, whom the Celtics defeated 81-65 in their final preseason game last week.  

The Sixers severely lack depth and scoring ability.  They plan to rebuild around their talented new rookie center, Jahlil Okafor, but overall they are currently one of the worst teams in the NBA.  The Celtics have the depth and talent to become one of the top teams in the East, so expect an easy victory tonight.  Here are some important things to watch for in the season opener:  

1. The Starting Lineup – Smart – Bradley – Crowder – Lee – Zeller

Brad Stevens dabbled with several different starting lineups throughout the preseason, but this one was most prevalent.  Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley, and Jae Crowder have all stepped into leadership roles while David Lee is also a natural leader.  However Amir Johnson is much more capable on defense than Lee, making him one of several players who are banging on the door of the starting lineup.

Lee is a great addition … just not necessarily a great starting power forward.  He brings intangible assets such as veteran presence, leadership, and offensive versatility.  Unfortunately he is just not that effective on the court anymore.  He helped Golden State win a title last year but barely received any playing time during the postseason.

His offensive awareness helps the team run smoothly and he has developed a nice rapport with Bradley.  However Lee’s defense is unreliable and his scoring ability showed further regression during the preseason.  If Lee starts tonight, look for him to gradually relinquish that role to Johnson.

Lee and Zeller have played well, but not as well as Johnson and Kelly Olynyk have played off the bench.  The rotation may change frequently throughout the season.  Furthermore guards Isaiah Thomas and Evan Turner, two of the team's top playmakers, are part of the second unit right now.  They are fighting for starting roles as well.  Still, the biggest questions remain in the frontcourt, where six talented big men are fighting for four rotational spots.  

2. Interior Presence – Somebody must step up

The frontcourt puzzle will play itself out.  The Celtics have plenty of talented big men and some will earn more minutes than others.  However one of the best ways for these guys to establish themselves in the rotation is to step up their interior defensive game. 

The Celtics have spent the last five years getting outmuscled and outrebounded.  They need immediate improvement in paint presence so that they no longer look helpless against opponents who can score effectively inside.  Offensive rebounds have also been a major issue. 

Smart, Bradley, Crowder, and Terry Rozier give the Celtics an elite defensive presence in their backcourt.  However, once opponents penetrate inside, the Celtics bigs often look overmatched against (what should be) inferior opponents.  Lee and Olynyk are the biggest culprits of getting beaten inside by inferior players.  Zeller is guilty too. 

Look for Johnson to fight for minutes, as well as a starting role, by building upon his defensive prowess.  Johnson’s high level of activity on defense makes him very valuable.  He has an underrated quickness that enables him to impact the game in many ways.  

This team does not need Johnson to be a big-time scorer.  He just needs to consistently work hard and use his size and athleticism to maximize his defensive impact.  Furthermore, Sullinger and Mickey are on the outskirts of the rotation, but they can still earn some minutes if they are able to help control the paint by grabbing boards and playing physical defense.  Sullinger got hot towards the end of the preseason, finally parking his gigantic body under the rim and proceeding to pull down 14 rebounds during their final preseason game.

3. Noel and Okafor – The Saviors of the Sixers?

Sixers fans have been waiting for months to see their star big men in regular season action together for the first time.  Okafor and Nerlens Noel are both exceptionally skilled centers.  Okafor is a massive threat in the post while Noel is freakishly athletic.  The young and talented 6’11’’ centers combine for an intriguingly ferocious frontcourt in Philly.

 

Many believed that Okafor would be the #1 overall pick this past summer.  However the 19 year old, 270 lb freshman somehow slipped to Philadelphia at #3, right after leading Duke to a national championship.  Nevertheless the massive youngster has NBA-ready post moves and an NBA-ready body.  Essentially, he is teenage Al Jefferson with a 7'5'' wingspan.

Nearly half of this year's draft class believes that Okafor will win Rookie of the Year.  It's easy to see why, especially when you put him alongside a blossoming Noel, the #6 overall pick in the 2013 draft.  The exciting duo will give the Celtics a lot of trouble, but other than two big men, the Sixers don't have much else going for them.

Expect Okafor and Noel to combine for approximately 25 points and 20 rebounds tonight.  The rest of the game should belong to Boston.  Okafor will show off some nifty offensive plays in his NBA debut, working the post against Zeller and the Celtics.  Nevertheless the Sixers stand little chance of winning the game.  

Prediction: Celtics win 94-81.  Look for Smart to dominate on both sides of the ball, Crowder to set the pace in the hustle department, and rookie point guard Terry Rozier to come up with some big plays in his first official NBA game.