Why the Bench is More Important than the Starters

Apr 30, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Terry Rozier (12) knocks the ball away from Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) during the second quarter in game one of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Everyone understands the importance of the Boston Celtics‘ starters in this series.

We expect at least 20 all the way to 30 points from Isaiah Thomas. Which is fantastic to think that the Celtics have such a dynamic scorer who puts up big numbers consistently. The impact of Avery Bradley is getting bigger and better every single game.

We can expect him to be a force on defense every single night. As for his offensive game, he usually scores around the 15-20 range, which it’s great to have a nice two-way guard.

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Al Horford in the playoffs has been brilliant, as he is also one who can be counted on to score around 15-20. As well as scoring, Horford’s passing has been huge in the playoffs, averaging 7 assists per game. Horford actually leads the team and is third in the league in win shares in the playoffs.

Jae Crowder has been fairly decent this postseason, putting up similar numbers as he did in the regular season (with the exception of Game 1 on Sunday). Crowder has been one to be very inconsistent with scoring, as he averages 13.7 points per game in the playoffs.

Clearly, we know what to expect out of our starters every night. But on the other side, for the Wizards, their bench definitely seems to struggle. Which is the perfect time for Boston’s bench to come in and have the same if not similar impact on the floor against the weaker Washington bench.

In Game 1, the Wizards bench was pretty much a non-factor. Whenever Wall and Beal went out, the team struggled tremendously. Every Wizards’ bench player that went into Sunday’s game had negative impacts. Statistically, you would look at their +/-. Kelly Oubre Jr. had a -22, Brandon Jennings had a -6, Bojan Bogdanovic had a -15, and the only one with a positive +/- on Washington’s bench was Jason Smith with a +1.

The #Celtics bench had 27 points, 17 rebounds, 5 blocks, 8 assists. #Wizards bench had 27 points, 6 boards.

Benches will decide series.
— Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) April 30, 2017

It seems that the Wizards bench has been very inconsistent throughout the year. In order to win this series, the Celtics’ bench needs to play a consistent, high level of basketball. If they can do that, they will be able to stretch out leads or even make comebacks if the starters aren’t getting it done.

In Sunday’s Game 1, Kelly Olynyk was a spark off the bench, scoring 12 points, including going 2 for 2 from three. Olynyk is key in this series because he is able to spread the floor so well and create open lanes for guards. Once again, Marcus Smart was a huge impact on defense, getting 3 blocks and 3 steals. Players like Jonas Jerebko and Amir Johnson are fairly inconsistent in making an impact in a game. A few times in these playoffs, we’ve seen Jerebko make some good plays.

As for Johnson, ever since Game 1 against the Bulls, he’s been getting bullied down low. If he can find a way to become a force on either end of the floor, the Celtics will be in great shape for the rest of the playoffs. A huge spark off the bench this postseason has been Terry Rozier. Every time Rozier comes in the game, he seems to be just knocking down a three-pointer that gets everyone on their feet and screaming in the TD Garden.

For the first time, Jaylen Brown got some crucial minutes and showed signs that he could possibly be one to be counted on to make a positive impact in some games. Boston’s bench could.

Next: Boston Celtics Bench Continues to Step Up

Boston’s bench will more than likely be the deciding factor in this series. With a 7 footer who can hit threes and guards that can get it done on both ends of the floor, the Celtics are in a great position moving forward in the NBA Playoffs.