Celtics player power rankings: Sullinger takes a big leap
COMMENTARY
Week one of the NBA season is in the books, and it wasn’t pleasant for most of the Celtics roster. Just four players are shooting over 40 percent for Brad Stevens, and the widespread inconsistency within Boston’s offense has led to 1-2 start and an ever-changing rotation for the head coach. We’ll sort through the ugliness in this week’s edition of the Celtics player power rankings and determine who is due for more opportunity on the crowded roster.
Biggest riser: Jared Sullinger (eight spots)
Biggest drop: Tyler Zeller (four spots)
15. James Young (last week: 14)
The youngest member of the Celtics has fallen to the bottom of the power rankings after being on the inactive list for the first three games of the season. He’s stuck behind at least four other players at the wing, including rookie R.J. Hunter. That logjam means the only court time Young is likely to see for the time being is with the Maine Red Claws, Boston’s D-League affiliate.
14. Jordan Mickey (last week: 15)
The rookie out of LSU scored a couple points during garbage time in his NBA debut last Wednesday against the Sixers. Once Kelly Olynyk returned from his suspension Friday, Mickey was relegated to the inactive list with Young. The 6-foot-8 forward might help the Celtics at some point this year, but he’s headed to Maine for some seasoning in the interim.
13. R.J Hunter (last week: 12)
Hunter missed a chance for action on opening night due to illness, but Stevens could turn to the rookie for shooting help this week. Boston has struggled mightily from beyond the arc (26.6 percent through three games), making the sharpshooter out of Georgia State a potentially appealing option off the pine.
12. Terry Rozier (last week: 13)
Like Mickey, Rozier made his debut against the Sixers on opening night. He’s stuck behind the team’s glut of guards, but with Avery Bradley nursing a hand injury, Rozier could see some spot minutes against Indiana if Bradley sits.
11. Tyler Zeller (last week: 7)
It’s hard to drop a starter this low in the power rankings, but Zeller’s first week of the regular season justifies it. The fourth-year center has played just 34 minutes in three games, highlighted by a second-half benching by Stevens on Sunday. The big man’s jump shot isn’t falling, and he’s not rolling to the rim with regularity, all of which is contributing to the first unit’s scoring problems. He’ll have a chance to bounce back this week, but right now Zeller’s on the shortest leash out of all the bigs.
10. Evan Turner (last week: 9)
Turner’s still getting plenty of minutes despite the logjam in the backcourt, but he has not rewarded Stevens for his faith in him. The 26-year-old is shooting a meager 25 percent (5-for-20), isn’t getting to the free throw line (six attempts) and is tied for second on the team in turnovers (8). On a team with too many options, Turner hasn’t been a productive one.
9. Kelly Olynyk (last week: 8)
The seven-footer’s positive summer with Team Canada has not exactly translated well to the regular season. It’s been a limited sample size, but Olynyk isn’t shooting the ball well and is still struggling on the defensive end, as was the case in his first two seasons. With Jared Sullinger showing consistency, Olynyk might become the odd man out for rotation minutes if he doesn’t pick up his play.
8. Jonas Jerebko (last week: 10)
One of the few players who have shown a bit of a pulse on the offensive end in limited minutes. Jerebko has a track record of being able to spread the floor, and with other bigs laboring on the offensive end, he could have an opening to earn more playing time at the four.
7. David Lee (last week: 5)
This ranking is probably a little bit too high for the veteran, but that’s more indicative of how poor an opening week it was for much of the roster. The former Warrior was supposed to provide an offensive boost in Boston’s starting five, but he’s come up painfully short in that department (25 percent shooting) in his first three contests. Lee’s finishing ability has been ugly to watch thus far, and that’s a part of his game worth watching as he attempts to fight out of an early slump.
6. Jae Crowder (last week: 4)
The defensive grit has remained steady from the small forward but his promotion to the starting lineup hasn’t been a success just yet. Crowder’s forcing the action a little bit too much on the offensive end (team-high nine turnovers) while his outside shooting hasn’t been there. The poor shooting is a team-wide issue so we won’t dock Crowder too much for it, but it remains to be seen if Stevens will turn to a more offensive minded option at the three moving forward.
5. Avery Bradley (last week: 3)
After being virtually invisible for the first two games of the year, Bradley carried Boston’s offense in the second half against the Spurs, scoring 14 of his team-high 18 points in the hard fought defeat. The shooting guard is still hoisting up a few too many long two-pointers, but strong drives to the hoop like this throwdown Sunday should keep Boston fans optimistic about his scoring potential.
[fragment number=0]
4. Amir Johnson (last week: 6)
The big man has come as advertised from Toronto in his first week in Green. Johnson leads the team in field goal percentage (58.3 percent), rebounds, blocks and minutes among the Boston bigs. His collaboration with Isaiah Thomas in the pick-and-roll has been a joy to watch thus far and he’s been doing plenty of dirty work in the interior as well. The consistent play could earn Johnson a job in the starting five, if the rest of the frontcourt continues to slump.
3. Jared Sullinger (last week: 11)
What a difference a week makes. Before the opener, we were wondering whether Sullinger had done enough to earn rotation minutes, and now the 6-foot-9 forward has made his way into the top-3 of the power rankings. Sullinger’s scoring and rebounding have been steady so far, but the real surprise has been the defense. Stevens said Tuesday that the fourth-year forward is playing some of the best of his career, making Sullinger the most well-rounded player in the frontcourt during the young season.
2. Marcus Smart (last week: 2)
Smart’s offensive game is still a work in progress, but the point guard hasn’t been a real culprit in causing the team’s slow starts so far. His defensive versatility has been stellar and Smart’s assist to turnover ratio (11-to-2) has been an encouraging sign so far. He just needs to start seeing some of his teammates make shots around him.
1.Isaiah Thomas (last week: 1)
There was temptation to drop Thomas out of this spot after his 4-for-18 outing against San Antonio, but the point guard’s offense has meant too much to Boston in other games to dock him for the off night. The 5-foot-9 guard is struggling with his outside shot however, going 4-of-17 from outside 16 feet. He’s getting into the paint with ease (22 free throw attempts), but in order for his offense to be running on all cylinders, he needs to keep defenses honest by hitting more jumpers.
Biggest Celtics draft busts
[bdc-gallery id=”465756″]
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com