Boston Celtics Continue to Search for Versatile Bigs

The Boston Celtics used the draft to find more versatile bigs

As the Boston Celtics continue the process of their rebuild, it is becoming clearer and clearer what Danny Ainge is looking for in his front court, versatility. They had high hopes for Jared Sullinger, whose ability to use his frame to be a capable defender and rebounder, was supposed to be combined with an ability to stretch the floor. Unfortunately, he is yet to prove he can stretch the floor and it is starting to feel as if he will never reach the versatility that the Celtics want.

Kelly Olynyk, the lone successful player in their front court, had that success because of his ability to stretch the floor. He may not be as physically dominant but his ability to create matchup problems as a stretch five gives Brad Stevens great versatility in how he can attack defenses. Throw in Olynyk’s improvement on the defensive end and he is not as one dimensional as many think.

Then there is Jordan Mickey. Mickey is still a work in progress with a lot to prove, but his combination of size, athleticism and defense can make him an ideal small ball front court player. The Celtics need rim protection, but they do not want to sacrifice dynamic athletes who can play fluidly and with great movement on both ends.

Ideally, the Celtics want athletic bigs who can bring rim protection, along with an ability to stretch the floor. Stretching the floor, however, appears to be much less important than their ability to be comfortable in Stevens’ system. Amir Johnson did a solid job for the Celtics last year, but his limitations were brought to the forefront. He was solid on the inside but was limited to reliability. Johnson could not be  game changer on either end, he did not change how the Celtics could attack and he did not change how teams attacked the Celtics.

The Celtics are searching for a game changing big and Ainge wants them to be able to dominate in more than one way. The Celtics have made it clear that they need their bigs to have unique skill sets that will open up why they are capable of doing on both ends.

Even if the big cannot stretch the floor, they need him to have an offensive arsenal that is not limited to finishing at the rim. They need defenders that can function in small ball lineups and that means having a great ability to run the floor and a willingness to defend on the outside as much as on the inside.

Before the draft, the Celtics have Olynyk who can stretch the floor and are hopeful that Mickey can be a small ball rim protector that still has the potential to stretch the floor. After the draft, the Celtics have added tremendous dynamic potential to their front court.

Guerschon Yabusele was one of the most scrutinized picks in the draft but if he can reach his potential then he would be the most dynamic athlete on the team. Yabusele has the size to play anywhere from the 3 to the 5 for Stevens and uses a great combination of athleticism and offensive skill to give him the versatility that Stevens needs on offense, while being capable of defending any position on the other end.

The Celtics need rim protectors, but versatility is vital on the defensive end because Stevens needs bigs that can guard multiple positions while being active enough to help generate the turnovers that they depend on so much.

It is a small sample size, but Yabusele shot over 40% from three point range, while being an electrifying finisher at the rim. He is capable of and wiling to play off the ball and uses movement to create good opportunities. He may not have the play making ability, but Yabusele has the kind of dynamic arsenal that may not be matched in the Celtics’ front court. It may take him time to get comfortable in Stevens’ system, but he can be effective in many different ways.

Defense is where Yabusele will need the most improvement, but his aggressiveness and athleticism can make him a factor on that end. He needs to work on his frame and that should help his post defense. He is already a capable one on one defender and plays with the exact kind of mentality that has allowed Crowder and Smart to flourish with intensity.

Yabusele is certainly a work in progress but he has the potential to be one of the most versatile players on the Celtics, on both ends of the court. Yabusele will need time before he can guard opposing centers and be an offensive force in the paint, but that is where the Celtics hope his high end potentials will bring him.

Ante Zizic may not have the same versatility as Yabusele, but could be right behind him on the Celtics. Zizic is a more tradition big that may never be asked to stretch the floor to the three point line. That being said, he remains a fluid athlete who has the ability to attack teams in the paint, rather than just play clean up like Johnson.

Zizic’s impact as a versatile athlete is likely to show up more on the defensive end. The key for Zizic with the Celtics in his movement as a defender combined with ferocious rebounding. Zizic may not have the position versatility of Yabusele, but his ability to add the mid range shot to his game can make him an impact power forward, as well as center.

Throw in that the Celtics took another forward that can stretch the floor in Ben Bentil, and Ainge did a solid job of looking to improve the offense of a disappointing front court, while not going backwards on the defensive end. Offensive impact is vital and where the versatility may be most useful. that being said, the most important aspect of these forwards is to make sure that are not a liability on the defensive end, for the sake of offensive production.

Versatility in an athlete can mean a lot of different things, and the Celtics are looking to make their front court as versatile as possible in as many different ways. The Celtics are searching for players that can impact the game in multiple ways on both ends. They are not interested in players that are limited to one particular skill set or one particular way of attacking and defending.

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As it stands now, the front court is still years away from reaching its potential but Ainge is finding players that have the potential to impact the game in multiple ways. They are not interested in one dimensional players and Stevens knows how dangerous these versatile athletes can be in the front court, particularly on a team that continually goes to small ball lineups.