Celtics player power rankings: Bradley, Thomas making All-Star cases
COMMENTARY
The Celtics returned to Boston with a bit of a jump in their step earlier this week after a successful 3-2 road trip that zip-zagged across the US and Mexico.
Brad Stevens and company won’t have too much time to celebrate, though, with a daunting week ahead at the TD Garden. First, Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls arrive in town Wednesday night. Boston will then get a chance to make history and knock off the 23-0 Golden State Warriors on Friday night. A visit from LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers is looming next week as well.
Which players are poised to contribute the most to Brad Stevens during the daunting stretch? Let’s find out in this week’s Celtics player power rankings.
Not ranked: Marcus Smart (left leg injury)
14. Jordan Mickey
The second-round pick erupted for a career-high 32 points in a Red Claws win on Sunday afternoon. With Mickey also dominating the D-League in the rebounding (2nd) and blocks (1st) department, he’s establishing himself as an MVP candidate early on in the season.
13. Terry Rozier
Even with Marcus Smart sidelined for the foreseeable future, Rozier has been relegated to garbage time duty at the end of the Boston bench. He’s played just six minutes in the past week.
12. R.J. Hunter
The rookie held his own against the title-contending Spurs on Saturday, drilling a couple 3-point attempts during an eight-point performance. However, an unfortunate hip injury suffered during a 3-on-3 game following practice Sunday sidelined the shooting guard on Monday night. James Young made the most of what would have been Hunter’s minutes against the Pelicans.
11. James Young
He’s alive! After being buried on the depth chart behind Hunter and Rozier in the early season, Young showed signs of life against the Pelicans on Monday night with a terrific all-around performance (four points, three rebounds, two assists in 20 minutes). It’s too early to tell if the progress is sustainable, but Monday was a big step forward for a guy who has spent most of his pro career in Maine.
10. David Lee
Lee has missed the past two games with a heel injury, but the bigger story was the veteran’s comments to the Boston Globe about wanting more playing time. With Brad Stevens opting for small lineups more and more, Lee’s situation may not improve for the foreseeable future.
9. Tyler Zeller
The seven-footer kept his head down and remained a good solider during his early-season slide down the depth chart, but he finally got a chance to contribute against some big frontlines in the past week. He averaged 4.3 points in eight minutes per game during the team’s road trip. Mere baby steps at this point, but a sign to Stevens that he’ll be ready when called.
8. Jonas Jerebko
The Swede’s extended shooting slump appears to be taking an understandable toll on the confidence of the big man. Jerebko has attempted just one 3-point shot in his past four games as he searches for other ways to help the Celtics while making a dismal 23 percent of his attempts from downtown.
7. Evan Turner
Turner’s production remains inconsistent at best, but he continues to be a favorite of Stevens when it comes to playing time. His 25.6 minutes per game is the sixth-highest on the team, ahead of starters like Amir Johnson and Jared Sullinger. While Turner’s positional versatility remains an asset, his outside shooting is not one. He’s hitting a career-worst 15 percent of his 3-point attempts.
6. Amir Johnson
The former Raptor was brought to Boston to help solidify the team’s interior defense, and that investment is beginning to pay off. The 6-foot-9 forward has recorded a block in eight straight games and had six over three contests in the past week.
5. Kelly Olynyk
I don’t think anyone enjoyed the Celtics’ trip to Mexico City more than Olynyk last week. Not only did the seven-footer score a season-high 21 points against the Kings south of the border, but he also became a Mexican fan favorite.
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The confidence boost Olynyk got from his international fan club carried over to his play Monday night as well, as he matched his new season-high with 21 points off the bench against the Pelicans.
4. Jared Sullinger
The power forward matched his career-high with 20 rebounds against the Pelicans on Monday night. Hitting the 20-rebound club twice in his four-year NBA career places him among some elite Celtic company.
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3. Jae Crowder
Crowder’s defensive play has been consistent all year, but now that his offense is starting to round into form, he’s become one of the team’s best all-around players. The small forward has scored in double digits for six straight games, averaging 15.6 points while hitting an efficient 51 percent of his shots during that stretch.
2. Avery Bradley
Isaiah Thomas may not be the only player with an All-Star case on the Boston roster. Bradley is scoring a career-high 16.2 points per game and is ninth in the NBA in 3-point accuracy, hitting a scorching 45 percent of his attempts. Incredibly, the shooting guard has also made two or more shots from beyond the arc in nine straight games.
1.Isaiah Thomas
After a two-week absence, Thomas regains his power rankings crown. The 5-foot-9 guard is getting plenty of accolades for his scoring (21 points per game), but don’t sleep on his distribution abilities either. He’s 13th in the NBA in assists per game (6.3) as well. The only other players who are posting those numbers in points and assists? Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and LeBron James.
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