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Jabari Bird Earned Trust in First Apearance

By Joshua Bateman

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 9: Jabari Bird #26 of the Boston Celtics shoots the ball during a preseason game against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 9, 2017 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 9: Jabari Bird #26 of the Boston Celtics shoots the ball during a preseason game against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 9, 2017 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Boston Celtics may have found another second unit option with Jabari Bird

Jabari Bird is not going to instantly become a part of the rotation, and start contributing on a regular basis, but he took the the first step. The Boston Celtics could not have a more chaotic and disorganized rotation right now, and Bird managed to do the most important thing in his unexpected first appearance, earn trust.

Bird was not a game changer. He did not stuff the stats sheet and he was not imposing his will on others. What he did do was give Stevens a deep option that did not hurt the team. Bird said himself that he was not prepared or anticipating this opportunity, and yet he was able to hold his own, and he a part of the unit that saved the game for them.

The return of Marcus Smart and Marcus Morris could make him obsolete once again, but Stevens now feels as though he has an option where he did not before, and that is exactly what he wants as they try to make things work with a roster that has been all over the place in these three games.

Even when those two return, nothing in this rotation is going to be set. We do not know who will be starting, and we do not know who will be coming off the bench when. Unfortunately, the Celtics have a lot of youth on that second unit, and that means they will inevitably have liabilities on the court at times.

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It is when those better options become a liability that Bird will see the results of the way he played against the 76ers. Stevens can now feel that he can replace that liability with Bird, and have a player that will not hold the team back.

Getting that trust is the start, because it is how he can start to get multiple appearances in games. He needs to maintain that trust, and ensure that any time he gets in the lineup, he holds his own on both ends of the court.

The more that trust builds, the more opportunities he will get and that is when he can start to take chances, and showcase his real ability.

We still really do not know how much Bird can offer, and it will stay that way for a while. It will always be a process, and the Celtics will not give Bird any kind of significant role without having lasting trust.

In a rotation that is so unsettled, Bird could use this trust to eventually get an actual role. The biggest problem would be how well the second unit guards are playing. Both Terry Rozier and even Shane Larkin have been great behind Smart and Kyrie Irving, and that does not leave much space for Bird.

Bird will have to be taking those minutes from some of the front court players. The Celtics are fine playing small, and they have a lot of uncertainty with their bigs. If Bird can show Stevens that he can be trusted playing these different kind of roles, while never getting in anyone’s way, then  it will only be a matter of time before we can see what kind of plays he might be able to make on either end.

The Celtics know almost nothing about the second unit rotation, and Bird just made it even more complicated. Those kinds of complications are going to make this a long transition period for the Celtics, but it is also the only way Stevens will know how to get the most out of this roster, and overcome the debilitating injuries to start out the season.

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It is still too early to get really excited about Bird getting a role, but he did more than enough in his first opportunity to prove to Stevens that his ability to hold things down was no fluke, and he can be a capable contributor on a regular basis, that will not be a liability.

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