Boston Celtics: Playoff Report Card

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Apr 13, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jonas Jerebko (8) celebrates after making a three-point basket against the Miami Heat during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports /

The Starters

Isaiah Thomas: 24.2 PPG, 5 APG, 3 RPG, 39.5 FG%, 28.3 3P%, 36.7 MPG

It was some sort of series for Isaiah Thomas, that’s for sure. Heading into Game 5, he was the playoffs leader in points per game. He ended up scoring a measly seven-points and then had a dreadful shooting performance to end the series.

Still, Thomas proved to be the guy for the Celtics and didn’t play terribly in the grand scheme of things. It was obvious that he was trying to do too much at times, that his shot wasn’t there all series – except for his 42-point night – and that he needed help as the Hawks ended up double-teaming him as the series went on.

Thomas knew his job was to score and that’s what he did. He left the assist-making to Evan Turner as he went off for a ridiculous 24.2 points per game, however, it did take him 19.8 shot attempts per contest.

He wasn’t able to finish near the rim as often with the two-headed monster of Paul Millsap and Al Horford down low. His mid-range game also struggled as the defensive pressure became too much to handle. There were many times Thomas was taken out of the offense by the Hawks’ defense and it led to long scoring droughts and forced shots.

His stats look good until you start digging deeper. He still was the go-to-guy the Celtics needed, but he needed more help. A double-double and a career-high 42-points isn’t a bad series, however, it could have been a lot better if he played within himself and tried to create shots for his teammates to open up his game.

Grade: B

Evan Turner: 13.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1 BPG, 35.7 MPG

It seems like Brad Stevens always needs to experiment with Marcus Smart before inserting Turner into the starting lineup. Just like in the regular season, Turner was a jack-of-all-trades but a master-of-none. He gave quality minutes as the starting shooting guard and spent even more time as a small forward, providing the Celtics with a point forward option.

His shooting, just like everyone’s, wasn’t the best. He missed a lot of shots, however, he gave the Celtics a better option to spread out the floor than Smart. Turner was also able to penetrate the lane and get inside or take a mid-range jumper – he shot 52.2 percent from 10-to-16 feet away.

Inserting Turner into the starting lineup after Avery Bradley went down gave the Celtics a chance in the series. His usage rate increased to 22.1 percent and he was able to deliver with the extra responsibility.

Evan Turner didn’t have any eye-opening games, however, he was consistent throughout the entire series. He only failed to record at least 10 points once, recorded at least five rebounds in five of the six games and was constantly racking up assists or hockey assists.

His stat line is exactly what Brad Stevens was hoping for; all-around play and able to handle the extra minutes. He was one of the few players on the Celtics that continued to play his game and didn’t let the pressure of the playoffs get to him.

Grade: A

Apr 24, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Evan Turner (11) and guard Isaiah Thomas (4) react after Thomas made a three point shot during overtime in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs agains the Atlanta Hawks at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /

Jae Crowder: 9.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.5 SPG, 27.8 FG%, 24.4 3P%, 32.8 MPG

Okay, Jae Crowder wasn’t 100 percent. That doesn’t give him a free pass.

Jae Crowder disappeared in the playoffs when the Celtics needed him most. Boston needed their small forward to step up with the absence of two-way player Avery Bradley, instead, Crowder arguably played his worst basketball of the season. His shot was atrocious and he simply didn’t have one good shooting night.

Crowder’s defensive rating of 99 relieves some of the criticism he will get, however, his offensive rating of 80 is as bad as it gets. He wasn’t even overly-effective on defense either. Kent Bazemore and Kyle Korver both had great series and he fouled out in Game 6.

Crowder was able to record a double-double in Game 1, but he shot 5-of-16 that night. It got worse as he combined to shoot 2-of-20 from the field and 1-of-11 from behind the arc in the next two games. Simply put, Crowder continued to jack up shots when he was unable to get any to drop, from any range – shooting 16.7 percent from 3-to-10 feet away.

His defense will keep him from an F but his offense is too bad to overlook. Game 2 was the only game he didn’t attempt at least 10 shots and five threes, he also didn’t shoot over 40 percent in any game. Boston needed him to find some sort of offense for them to comeback in the series, but he became a liability on offense and Stevens only gave him 28 minutes in each of the last two games.

Grade: D-

Jonas Jerebko: 9.8 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 47.8 FG%, 31.8 3P%, 27 MPG

It seems weird to say, but the Boston Celtics lived and died by Jonas Jerebko in this series. He cracked the starting lineup in Game 3 following two mediocre games and then put together back-to-back double-doubles in Games 3 and 4. His production ended up tailing off in the final two games of the series, however, Jerebko brought this team back to life.

With only 7.7 shot attempts per game, he was able to impact the game in a way Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk couldn’t. His three-point ability instantly spread out the floor as Atlanta was forced to respect his shot. Jerebko also drove inside and became a presence in the paint – attempting 34.8 percent of his shots inside three feet.

Jonas Jerebko’s presence opened up a lot of lanes for the Celtics’ guards to drive and cut to the basket. As surprising as his stat line is, his impact may have been felt the most in his intangibles. He provided Boston with a big man who could run the floor and was more of an inside presence on defense than Sullinger, who started the first two games for Boston.

He didn’t need a lot of shots to make his presence felt and that’s something rare. The power forward jumped right into his bigger role and was the difference maker for the Celtics as he was able to make big shots down the stretch and gave Boston the ability to run.

Grade: A-

Amir Johnson: 8.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.3 BPG, 66.7 FG%, 22.3 MPG

Amir Johnson’s first round series was almost a mirror image of his regular season. He started in all six games and gave around the same production while his minutes fluctuated throughout. He started out the series barely seeing 20 minutes but then topped 30 in Game 3 and just missed that mark in Game 4. However, in the Celtics two losses, he didn’t even record 20 minutes a night.

The inconsistent minutes, despite solid play, for Johnson makes his future with the team foggy at best.

He didn’t put up any double-doubles and he didn’t drop 20-points in a game. He was exactly what Amir Johnson was supposed to be, with a little extra.

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Johnson only attempted 5.5 shots per game, but he was one of the only guys on Boston who could get shots off in the paint. Attempting 72.7 percent of his shots inside three feet, Johnson shot a crazy 70.8 percent from that range. He’s not the type of player that you can feed the ball inside and let him go to work, but the Celtics did rely a lot on him during Games 2 and 3, and he delivered – shooting 7-of-8 from the field in Game 3.

He needed more help down low than what Jerebko, Sullinger or Olynyk gave him. When Sullinger was in, Amir Johnson was on an island by himself on defense. He averaged 1.3 blocks per game and was the anchor to the Celtics’ interior defense. It was only surprising that Brad Stevens went away from him in Game 5 and 6 following his solid performances.

Grade: B+

Next: The Reserves

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