Celtics player power rankings: Isaiah Thomas makes Celtics history (again)
The 5-foot-9 point guard put up the best scoring January in franchise history
The Celtics have been shorthanded for the past couple weeks, but that hasn’t stopped them from making a push towards the top of the Eastern Conference.
After reeling off four straight wins, they have surpassed the struggling Toronto Raptors for the second seed in the Eastern Conference and sit only 2.5 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the top spot.
“I’m always aware of where we are in the standings, who’s playing, and worrying about our next opponent,” Isaiah Thomas said Monday. “We’re just trying to keep climbing, keep playing at a high level going into All-Star.”
The push continues on Wednesday night in a pivotal against the Raptors, a team the Celtics have lost five of their last six games to. With a potential playoff tiebreaker edge hanging in the balance, the Celtics will need to show they can hold their hold against a member of the East’s elite in a head-to-head matchup.
Avery Bradley (Not Ranked) — The shooting guard has not suited up for 11 of the past 12 games due to a sore Achilles’ but he could return for Wednesday’s showdown with the Toronto Raptors after practicing on Tuesday.
14. Demetrius Jackson — The No. 45 overall pick had a tough January in the D-League from a shooting standpoint. He hit just 34 percent of his field goal attempts and 16.7 percent from 3-point range.
13. James Young — Brad Stevens wasted no time throwing him into the fire last week after the swingman returned from a severe sprained ankle, but his stint in the Celtics rotation was once again short-lived. After posting a team worse net rating of -7.0 over three games last week, he’s been back at the end of the bench during the Celtics’ latest win streak.
12. Jordan Mickey — Like Young, Mickey’s minutes will be purely predicated on the health of others moving forward. He’s at the bottom of the big man depth chart right now, failing to see playing time during Al Horford’s three-game absence except during garbage time against the Magic.
11. Tyler Zeller — The seven-footer couldn’t have asked for a better return to the floor Friday night against the Magic, posting 10 points in 20 minutes after missing a month with a sinus infection. He’s a big body that looks ready to contribute, but it’s only going to happen situationally it appears as he failed to see minutes against Andre Drummond and the Pistons on Monday after playing his first two games back.
10. Gerald Green — His rotation spot remains on thin ice thanks to his ineffective shooting (31 percent in last five games) but opposing defenses still are forced to respect his shot more than Boston’s younger reserve wings. That fact has helped to keep him on the floor for double digit minutes in the last four games with Avery Bradley sidelined.
9. Terry Rozier — Offense remains a struggle for the second-year guard, but he’s picked up the slack defensively in the past week, tallying a steal in every game for five straight contests.
8. Jaylen Brown — Despite his insertion into the starting lineup last week and a career-high 20 points against the Magic, Brown’s playing time has been a rollercoaster. Despite the highs and lows expected during a rookie year, Brad Stevens is happy with the 20-year-old’s progress: “We’re in a unique situation because we had a high draft pick and we’ve got a good team. As I’ve said before he’s done a really good job because he’s proven he can add value to winning,” Stevens said.
7. Amir Johnson — A full-time demotion from the starting five is a possibility for Johnson, but that isn’t impacting his play on the floor. The 10-year veteran is shooting 70 percent from the field during Boston’s four-game winning streak with a net rating of +5.2.
6. Jonas Jerebko — Brad Stevens is looking to space the floor more around Isaiah Thomas and that has led to more minutes and a starting role for Jerebko in the last week. “He’s a guy that, when you have paint attacks, when you have more threats, obviously, he can be at his best,” Stevens said. “Whether it’s shooting or driving against the closeouts.” The Celtics are 4-1 this year when Jerebko starts.
5. Kelly Olynyk — Olynyk is known for his outside shot, but he’s actually been doing most of his damage from inside the arc recently. Over the past week the seven-footer is shooting a scorching 78.2 percent from 2-point range, helping him score an efficient 9.8 points per game over that stretch.
4. Marcus Smart — Smart’s shooting remains a concern (31.8 percent from field in last week) but there’s no denying his positive impact on the C’s play. He’s led all Celtics with a +13.0 net rating since he’s filled in for Avery Bradley in the starting five.
3. Al Horford — A groin injury scare hasn’t stopped Horford from putting together his best offensive stretch of the year. The big man has shot 60 percent or better from the field in his last three games, capping a potent month of January in which he hit over 40 percent of his 3-point attempts.
2. Jae Crowder — The Celtics have shown more grit with their rebounding lately and Crowder’s contributions are a big reason why. The 6-foot-6 forward has posted 7.2 rebounds per game in the last week, including his second double-double of the season last Wednesday against the Rockets.
1. Isaiah Thomas — The 5-foot-9 point guard cemented his name in the Celtics history books once more to close out the month, using a 41-point performance Monday night to finish out January by averaging 32.9 points per game. That’s the highest scoring mark for a January in franchise history and the fourth-best scoring month ever by a Celtic behind Paul Pierce and Larry Bird (twice).
