How does Daniel Theis Fit in with the Boston Celtics?
How will Daniel Theis fit in with the Boston Celtics
Back in July, the Boston Celtics quietly signed Daniel Theis to a multi-year contract.
Remember July? Back before Kyrie Irving became a Celtic, before Carmelo Anthony was traded to the Thunder, before Derrick Rose and LeBron James became teammates… it was a simpler time.
His signing also came before we knew the status of players like Andrew Bogut and Thomas Robinson. To me, this makes Theis the most intriguing signing of the summer, even more so after learning that the Celtics have been scouting him for the last six years before finally bringing him to Boston.
Building Expectations
Theis’s strong showing at the Eurobasket Tournament was promising, and already more than I expected, to be honest. Averaging about 11 points and six rebounds is great, but what really stood out was his ability to run a smooth two-man game with Dennis Schroder.
As a primarily interior player, Theis was often positioned well to convert passes into easy baskets off pick-and-roll opportunities. If needed, he can camp behind the three-point line to stretch defenses and hit open threes. He’s not flashy, but he perfectly fits the profile of an oversized wing/undersized forward that Danny Ainge would add to the roster.
Expectations for this iteration of the Celtics are high. Expectations for individual players, however, are difficult to determine, especially for the bench. Who will get the most minutes among the new forwards? Is Jayson Tatum as NBA-ready as he looks after killing it the summer league?
Guerschon Yabusele and Semi Ojeleye have both played some great basketball in the past year between China and college respectively, not to mention they both have a significant amount of muscle on their teammates. Theis, as we know, had a strong showing in the Eurobasket tournament, but how does that translate to keeping up with NBA competition?
Basically, it becomes a matter of comparing the talent of college basketball to Eurobasket 2017 to Chinese basketball. The strongest competition among those three is found in Europe, as the tournament-winning Slovenian team, for example, has some legitimate NBA-level talent in Goran Dragic, Anthony Randolph, and Luka Doncic on their roster.
To me, Theis holding his own against a field with some NBA talent scattered throughout is just as impressive as Yabusele bulldozing players half his size in China, and I put more stock in Theis adopting good habits from playing with Schroder than Yabusele could while playing with Jimmer Fredette. If nothing else, he’ll a competent player.
Player Comparisons & Fitting In
If we’re setting the bar as high as we (un)realistically can for Theis’s ceiling, then he could theoretically be the modern-day Andrei Kirilenko, but with a three-point shot. A more reasonable comparison might liken him to a skinny version of Jared Sullinger, with some Jonas Jerebko mixed in.
Just like Sully, he would play defense on the interior and the Celtics could dump the ball to him down low if the mood strikes them, and like Jerebko, they could also stick him in the corner and demand that a defender keep tabs on him while the Celtics run their offense.
Ultimately, Theis is a tweener, which means Stevens will probably play him at four different positions throughout the season. Come to mention it, life as a tweener in the NBA is good these days, as coaches are less fixated on defined positions and put more emphasis in versatile lineups and team chemistry.
Next: Patience Continues to be the Priority
He’s also 25, so his experience could earn him more minutes than the rookies in the short-term, but it could be tough for him to keep those minutes when Yabusele and Ojeleye become acclimated to the NBA.