Boston Celtics Re-sign Jonas Jerebko

The Boston Celtics have struck out on all big name free agents thus far, with their biggest signing being Amir Johnson. The Celtics were expected to make a splash in free agency but the way things are shaping up, the Celtics are going to have to do their building from within and through the draft.

The Celtics had long expressed their wishes to resign Jae Crowder and in their best move so far this off season the Celtics secured him for another 5 years on a deal that even before the salary cap sky rockets, is looking like a bargain.

The Celtics did not stop at Crowder as they have also signed Jonas Jerebko to another shorter but manageable contract. Jerebko will likely remain a rotation player coming off the bench but at $5 million per year the Celtics will never regret his contract.

Apr 19, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jonas Jerebko (8) reacts in the second quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

In fact, Jerebko can be one of the more important pieces of the Celtics’ roster and he will do it at an absolute bargain. Jerebko was not asked to do too much last year, but he was phenomenal in every area the Celtics needed.

Jerebko has a size advantage over last year’s starting power forward Brandon Bass and that allows him to be arguably the team’s most effective rebounder. Jerebko was a top 5 rebounder in sheer volume and he did that while getting significantly less minutes than everyone else above him.

Jerebko had a rebounding percentage of 14.5, the highest of his career and that is just below Jared Sullinger‘s 15.4 rebounding percentage which lead Sulinger to the highest rebounds per game for the Celtics.

Jerebko will not be enough to fix the Cetics’ rebounding issues but he remains a step in the right direction. The Celtics have a lot of uncertainty and a lot of options at the power forward position and even if Jerebko never gets a chance to start his ability to rebound will get him plenty of minutes, especially with the Celtics missing out on a lot of size in the draft and free agency.

What makes Jerebko such a great signing for the Celtics is he’s a lot more than just extra size and a slight rebounding boost. The Celtics look for a lot of their offense from three point shooting but they were near the bottom of the league shooting it at a rate of 32.7%. It gets even more disturbing when that it paired with the fact that the Celtics were 13th in three point attempts per game.

The Celtics rely too heavily on three point shooting to have as many poor three point shooters as they do on the team. The Celtics have a lot of players that can be considered threats from three point range but it is problematic when the likes of Sullinger and Evan Turner are shooting below 30%.

Apr 8, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jared Sullinger (7) shoots the ball over Detroit Pistons center Joel Anthony (50) during the second quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Celtics won 113-103. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Jerebko, on the other hand, may actually be the best three point shooter currently on the Celtics. Jerebko may not have had the volume of someone like Isaiah Thomas but with 2.2 three point attempts per game he shot a scorching 40.6%.

Jerebko is an ideal role player for Brad Stevens. He brings much needed size, he plays with great energy and provides a rebounding boost and, most importantly, he is a knock down three point shooter.

Jerebko will not carry the team and he may never get a chance to be a part of the starting unit but he is arguably the most crucial piece of the second unit and as more and more days pass by the importance of the second unit only continues to grow.

The Celtics didn’t make their huge move in the draft and may not get the max contract free agent everyone thought they would so they will have to fall back on what was one of the best second units in the NBA last year.

If the Celtics lose their depth then they will certainly regress from last year and bringing back Jerebko goes a long way in keeping that second unit in form.

Jerebko is not the signing that Celtics’ fans are going to be cheering over but it is one that they should be. In just 29 games with the Celtics last year Jerebko carved out a fantastic role for himself on the team and after a full offseason under Brad Stevens the 28 year old should be in line for one of the best seasons of his career.

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