The Boston Celtics Are Already Missing Kelly Olynyk and Marcus Smart
The Boston Celtics knew that they were going to feel the impact of injuries to Marcus Smart and Kelly Olynyk, they just weren’t sure to what extent. They got a glimpse of the inexperience of their second unit against the Nets, and then it showed up again against the Bulls.
The Celtics escaped their season opener with a victory, but they narrowly avoided a complete disaster, and it all started with the second unit. The bench players have not been bad all around. In fact, multiple players are playing better than expected. That being said, when Stevens decided to sit his starters with a comfortable lead against the Nets, they fell apart against a full court press.
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Right now the three first players off the bench feature a rookie, a sophomore and Tyler Zeller. The Celtics knew these players were going to need time to adjust to their roles and it is still clear that they cannot be trusted to close out games.
The Bulls game was bittersweet for Jaylen Brown, but they missed Smart in a big way. Brown was impressive and did enough for Stevens to give him minutes late in the game. Brown was looking good at the four in their small ball lineup and that is often how Stevens closes games. It was then a brutal turnover with the game on the line that put Brown’s inexperience on display. Even if he has been a strong player on both ends in the first two games, he has never been in these situations before in the NBA and it was clear on that play.
What Brown did by getting caught in the air without having someone to pass to should be a valuable lesson. Aggressiveness is one of the keys to playing on the Celtics and Brown has embraced that. Intelligence is also a key to playing and Brown learned that the hard way. The most important thing is knowing when to be aggressive and with how important each possession is at that point in the game, Brown needed to get the ball in Isaiah Thomas or Al Horford‘s hands before looking to make a play.
That play alone is not the only way the Celtics felt the injuries. As good as Brown is, Smart’s potential defense on Dwayne Wade could have been the difference maker. Avery Bradley is just as capable, but having another option to throw at him could be the difference. Smart would also be a lot more likely to get that steal that would have put them back in a strong position late.
Brown simply does not have any experience in those situations. This is a part of the learning process and a turnover like the one he had should stick with him for a while.
With Olynyk, his presence was missed more against the Nets. Without him, the second unit loses their best firepower. It is not too surprising that they went cold on offense during that run in the fourth, simply because they do not have any established scorers, outside of maybe Gerald Green.
Olynyk is a guy that would be able to get those few baskets that would have kept the game out of reach. Without him, no one was able to counter the Nets’ run and they did not play good enough defense to hold them off either.
There is no reason to panic. The Celtics had a great opportunity to start the season 2-0, and they know they need to be better. They also realize that they will be better when those players return from injury.
Stevens has never been a coach to lose his cool or panic. He will understand that these kinds of situations happen. It becomes a little more alarming considering there were these glaring problems for two straight games. That being said, it is far too early to overreact to anything, and these moments will allow that second unit to grow.
The Celtics have suffered because of these injuries, but they can also feel incredibly optimistic about what it will look like when Olynyk and Smart are back. Terry Rozier has looked comfortable. His shooting is still suspect but he has been making smart passes and has been comfortable playing alongside Thomas.
Brown has also been contributing on both ends. There is nothing staggering in his numbers but his shot has looked better than expected and he has been driving to the rim. Defense has not been a problem either, and he did a great job in that small ball lineup with the starters.
Tyler Zeller, however, has been the most impressive. He even took Amir Johnson‘s spot with the starters to open the second half against the Bulls. Zeller has been improved and much better than expected on both ends of the court.
He has been a reliable finisher for the most part, but it is the defense that is most impressive. The second unit has absolutely no rim protection they can trust. If Zeller can prove some resistance in the interior, that second unit could cause a lot of problems with Smart back in the lineup. Zeller could become one of the most important players on the second unit at this rate, and it is because of the two way potential that has been on display.
Next: The Celtics Learned a Valuable Lesson
The Celtics knew that their second unit would be problematic and that a lot would be in flux. These issues showed up big time in the first two games, but it is nothing to get more worried about at this point in the season.