Celtics Player Power Rankings: Schedule about to get crazy

Celtics guard Evan Turner has been playing well of late. USA Today Sports

By Brian Robb @CelticsHub

November 10, 2015

5 minutes to read

COMMENTARY

The Celtics bounced back from a rough opening week to put together a pair of solid performances in week two, partially thanks to a starting lineup shift by Brad Stevens. After playing a league low five games in the opening two weeks of the year, the schedule kicks up a notch with 13 games awaiting Boston in the next 21 days. What players are best positioned to make an impact in the chaotic stretch? Who has fallen out of the rotation entirely? Let’s examine it all in this week’s player power rankings.

Biggest riser: Evan Turner (two spots)

Biggest drops: David Lee, Marcus Smart (three spots)

15. James Young (last week: 15)

Despite a recent injury to Marcus Smart, Young has remained glued to the inactive list. In lieu of NBA playing time, the Celtics have wisely been sending the second-year guard to work out with the Maine Red Claws for some extended practice work. The 20-year-old posted a game-high 33 points in an intrasquad scrimmage up north over the weekend, and it appears the team could be rewarding him by making him active against the Bucks on Tuesday.

14. Jordan Mickey (last week: 14)

Stevens has been tinkering with bigs in the rotation, but Mickey has yet to see meaningful game action. He’ll get most of his rookie seasoning in a Red Claws jersey with their season set to open Thursday night.

13. R.J. Hunter (last week: 13)

The rookie shooting guard showed glimpses of promise during his NBA debut against the Pacers last week, but there’s also plenty to work on (four fouls in 14 minutes of action). He’ll remain toward the end of the depth chart for the foreseeable future, but with Stevens opting to roll with more skilled players in the rotation, Hunter’s offensive versatility could fit that description on select nights.

12. Tyler Zeller (last week: 11)

From a starting center to out of the rotation: Few players have seen their stock drop as much as Zeller in the first two weeks of the season. With Boston’s offense struggling and the seven-footer slumping with his shot, Stevens has opted to go away from the fourth-year center for the time being. It’s probably not a permanent demotion, but it won’t help the free-agent-to-be improve his stock in the interim.

11. Terry Rozier (last week: 12)

The speedster out of Louisville got his first real shot at rotation minutes with Smart sidelined in a pair of games last week. His point guard game is still a work in progress as he attempts to decipher how to run an NBA offense. Still, with Stevens looking to run more, Rozier has the speed and shooting ability to keep Boston’s offense in top gear when called upon.

10. David Lee (last week: 7)

Lee’s fall has not been as pronounced as Zeller’s, but the early demotion out of the starting lineup was appropriate for his subpar start. The power forward’s ability to finish around the basket in traffic remains spotty, as does his lift at age 32. The veteran’s defense has never been his strong suit, so Lee’s going to have to find his offensive rhythm if he wants to see 20-plus minutes per game.

9. Kelly Olynyk (last week: 9)

In order for the Celtics’ offense to succeed on a regular basis, it needs Olynyk to remain a shooting threat and that’s exactly what he did during Friday’s blowout win over the Wizards. The 3-point shot may not always go down for the seven-footer, but teams need to at least respect him for it, which will help spread the floor for Isaiah Thomas and other penetrators. Consistency needs to be shown in that department, but count Olynyk’s solid team defense numbers as an early surprise for Stevens.

8. Evan Turner (last week: 10)

The ultimate trick or treat player off the bench for Boston has started to piece together a couple of positive outings last week, posting 13.5 points per game on 54 percent shooting in his last two contests. Stevens’ renewed focus on pushing the pace suits Turner well, since having several capable ballhandlers on the floor at all times allows the Celtics to keep their foot on the gas.

7. Jonas Jerebko (last week: 8)

One of the few players on the Celtics who has looked steady during the team’s opening five games. Jerebko may not be separating himself from the pack, but Stevens knows what he’s getting from him (3-point shooting threat, offensive rebounding) most nights and that’s enough to earn regular minutes on this roster right now.

6. Amir Johnson (last week: 4)

The former Raptor was promoted to the starting five alongside Jared Sullinger, but he’s remained on the bench for extended stretches during the second half of games. Johnson’s ankle issues may be one reason for the limited minutes, but Stevens appears to be edging towards going with skilled floor spacers that have the hot hand in crunch time. Johnson hasn’t proven himself in that department just yet (just seven points in last two games), but he’s got time to grow more comfortable within the system.

5. Marcus Smart (last week: 2)

A mystery toe injury that has forced Smart to miss two games thus far knocks him down a few pegs in the rankings this week. The point guard is expected to return later this week, but it remains to be seen whether his starting point guard job will be waiting for him. Thomas has breathed some life into Boston’s starting five in Smart’s absence, but Smart has been solid on both sides of the ball thus far. It would be perplexing to see a short absence cost him his job.

4. Avery Bradley (last week: 5)

The 24-year-old has been a man of his word, taking more 3-point shots per game (five) during the young season than ever before. He’s sinking them at an above-average rate as well (36 percent), making him one of the few offensive weapons on Boston playing up to expectations.

3. Jae Crowder (last week: 4)

One of Boston’s most indispensable pieces gave his team a scare when he needed to be helped off the court due to a left knee injury in the closing minutes of a double-double against Washington. Luckily, the minor bone bruise diagnosis will allow Crowder to suit up Tuesday night against the Bucks. The small forward continues to do all the little things for Boston on the wing, but he still must step up his early season shooting (38.5 percent).

2. Jared Sullinger (last week: 3)

The unpredictability of the Celtics roster has been on display with the big man in the first couple weeks. Sullinger has arguably been Boston’s best all-around player through five games, a far cry from the slow start the power forward began his preseason with. Besides his improved conditioning, the most promising part of Sullinger’s early-season excellence has to be his long-range shooting. The sample size is limited (6-of-13), but his ability to consistently hit perimeter shots will only enhance his crunch time minutes.

1. Isaiah Thomas (last week: 1)

The offense remains stellar (22 points per game), but some of Thomas’ defensive warts have been magnified as he’s been matched up more against other starting point guards in Smart’s absence. The question that Stevens will have to answer once Smart returns is whether the superb creation ability on offense outweighs the defensive limitations.