Celtics player power rankings: Christmas edition
COMMENTARY
The Celtics have steadied the ship just in time for the holiday break, snapping a three-game losing streak with a pair of impressive double-digit wins over the Hornets and Timberwolves this past week.
With a solid 16-13 record, the Celtics remain outside the playoff picture in a crowded Eastern Conference even though they just are just 2.5 games out of the No. 2 seed. Boston has a chance to make up some ground in the standings as the schedule eases up next week, a stretch that includes a pair of matchups with the Knicks and Lakers for the first time this year.
Who has keyed the team’s recent turnaround?
Let’s explore that in a new edition of the Celtics player power rankings, which includes a player taking the No. 1 crown for the first time all year.
Unranked: Marcus Smart. The point guard has started to ramp up his on-court activities, but still has not been cleared for five-on-five action by team doctors. The Celtics will have to wait at least another week or two into the New Year for the versatile defender to return to the floor.
14. Jordan Mickey: The rookie saw a minute of garbage time during Monday’s win over the Wolves, helping him add to his league-best player efficiency rating (PER) of 68.8. Unfortunately, that number is not exactly significant for the power forward since he’s only played six total minutes on the year.
13. Terry Rozier: Celtics head coach Brad Stevens acknowledged he was considering adding the Louisville product to the rotation on the heels of the team’s three-game losing streak last weekend, but opted to go in another direction.
12. James Young: The minutes have dried up for the second-year shooting guard in the wake of R.J. Hunter’s return to full health. With Smart slated to return in the next couple of weeks as well, the 20-year-old may be forced to suit up with the Red Claws again in order to see consistent playing time.
11. Tyler Zeller: Amir Johnson’s foot troubles have opened up some consistent opportunities for the oft-used center. Zeller responded with plenty of urgency in his play this week. He scored a season-high 14 points in just 17 minutes Monday night, creating a potential rotation dilemma for Stevens when Johnson recovers.
10. R.J. Hunter: With three straight games of at least 18 minutes of playing time for the first time all season, Hunter has appeared to settle into a rotation spot for the time being. He’s also doing some damage on offense with more than just his outside shot.
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9. Amir Johnson: Ankle problems have plagued the 28-year-old power forward in recent seasons, but a persistent case of plantar fasciitis may be to blame for his slow start in green. He’s missed Boston’s last two games to rest the ailment, but isn’t expected to miss considerable time.
8. Jonas Jerebko: The stretch four has returned to his hot shooting ways from beyond the arc, going 7 for 11 from downtown in his last five games. Unfortunately, that accuracy has not translated to his shots closer to the rim, as he’s made just 2 of 12 two-point attempts within that same span.
7. David Lee: The highest earner on the Celtics’ roster at $15.4 million was also the first player to pop up in trade rumors earlier this week, as the front office has reportedly made the power forward available. Lee responded to the whispers by putting together a pair of near double-doubles in Boston’s recent wins.
6. Evan Turner: The reserve wing has turned his focus to distributing the ball over during the past week. He has piled up 20 assists in his last three games, including a season-high 10 on Monday against the Wolves.
5. Jared Sullinger: After a sensational month of November, Sullinger has started to regress in December. He’s continued to pile up the rebounds, but his shooting has slumped (35.5 percent from the field), especially from beyond the arc (11.8 percent).
4. Kelly Olynyk: Injuries opened the door for Olynyk to enter the starting lineup in the past two games, and the seven-footer may tempt Stevens into making that a permanent switch with two straight 21-point performances in big Celtic wins.
3. Avery Bradley: Two weeks after harassing Stephen Curry into one of his worst shooting performances of the season, Bradley helped limit Hornets leading scorer Kemba Walker to 10 points in 41 minutes, further cementing his status as one of the NBA’s top backcourt defenders.
2. Isaiah Thomas: The point guard’s scoring burden has been reduced with Olynyk, Bradley, and Jae Crowder showing some more consistency on the offensive end. This has allowed Thomas to rack up more dimes (8.3 in his last three games) such as this gem:
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1. Jae Crowder: Three straight double-doubles in the wake of his one-year anniversary with the Celtics pushes Crowder into the No. 1 spot in the rankings for the first time this year. The consistent scoring output caps a stellar December in which the small forward has ranked second on the team in scoring (16.4 points per game), more than three points above his season average.
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