Guerschon Yabusele, Semi Ojeleye Engaged In Playing Time Battle

One storyline to watch in the preseason will be the position battle between Guerschon Yabusele and Semi Ojeleye.

For the past few seasons, the Boston Celtics roster has featured incredible depth.

Many Boston fans were concerned with the possibility of a blockbuster trade for a superstar leading to the sacrifice of this depth and the thinning of the Celtics roster.

However, that trade has been made, and the team still harbors undeniable depth, especially at the forward position.

Two rookies fighting for playing time behind Marcus Morris at the power forward position are Guerschon Yabusele, the 16th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, and Semi Ojeleye, the 37th selection in this past summer’s draft. According to ESPN, Ojeleye currently trumps Yabusele on the depth chart. However, a strong preseason from Yabusele could change this notion.

After spending the majority of the 2016-17 NBA season overseas with the Shanghai Sharks, Yabusele impressed in a few appearances with the Maine Red Claws of the G-League this spring. In a pair of regular season performances, Yabusele posted 37 points and 20 rebounds, nine of which came offensively. He showcased his three-point stroke, flourishing to the tone of 4-6 shooting from outside while going 11-17 overall.

BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 25: Semi Ojeleye /

The only issue with Yabusele’s first few G-League appearances were his turnovers. Struggling with ball control, Yabusele flipped the rock over to the opposition nine times. However, the Frenchman flipped the script in the G-League postseason, committing just 11 turnovers in five games. In 27.3 minutes per game in the playoffs, Yabusele averaged 12.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 0.6 blocks per game.

The extensive turnover count in the first two games may have just been a product of an increased usage rate. This is something that Yabusele will not have to worry about on a Celtics second unit stocked with players such as Jayson Tatum that have the potential to be ball-dominant scorers.

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SMU basketball fans are familiar with Ojeleye, a second-round steal who earned American Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors a season ago. While he will not be receiving 40 minutes in any game with Boston for the foreseeable future, his per 40 minutes statistics were figures to admire.

In this time frame, the Duke transfer posted 22.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. Ojeleye is another three-point threat, shooting 42.4 percent from deep range, making 2.1 threes per contest with the Mustangs. He was plenty confident in his three-point shot, as 40 percent of his attempts came from deep. This quick trigger is exactly what the Celtics need in their free-flowing system which encourages the taking of the deep ball.

Ojeleye also took great care of the rock in college despite a high, 25.8 percent usage rate. His turnover rate was just 8.6 percent, which played a large role in his garnering of a 7.9 offensive box plus-minus.

Both Ojeleye and Yabusele looked like athletic freaks on media, each looking strong as a bull and ready to push out the likes of Kevin Love for a rebound down low. The decided ceiling on each appears to be Draymond Green, as each possesses the strength and offensive ability to compare to the two-time NBA champion skill set-wise.

Next: Who Starts Alongside Kyrie Irving in the Backcourt

The major factor in who receives the minutes necessary to harness the potential lies in each player’s hustle and tenacity. This is the reason why Green got a chance to become one of the most impactful players in the league, and it is also the gateway to Brad Stevens’ heart for these two Celtics rookies.

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