The Boston Celtics have one of the most amazing and frustrating second units in the NBA
The Boston Celtics have started this season with a lot more depth than most were expecting. The second unit is filled with rookies and inexperienced players, with Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier being the only ones who had ever played together before. There were good reasons to question whether or not that unit could hold up, and they certainly have so far.
The second unit has been a big part of the great start to the season, but it is not all positive. One of the biggest reasons the Celtics are the best defense in the league is that second unit. They have rookies like Semi Ojeleye and Daniel Theis who have come in with an immediate impact on that end.
Add on Smart and Rozier and Aron Baynes or Marcus Morris, and this is a second unit that has the defenders to hold their own against a decent starting unit. They have shown off incredible versatility, and have many questioning whether or not they can sustain such high level defense.
Without that defense from the second unit, there is no way the Celtics go on that winning streak. Time and time again it was the defense making it for a lot of things, and each and every time these second unit players were a part of it. They filled in with starters and did not miss a beat when it was necessary, and they often held things down on their own, making sure the starters get their chance to win the game.
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At this point, it is impossible to be disappointed with the second unit, because their positive impact has been a part of this remarkable start. That being said, it is also impossible not to get frustrated with the second unit, because if they could find some two way balance, they would easily be the best in the league.
For all the defense that second unit brings, they have matched that with some disastrous offense. They’ve had strings of games shooting under 20 percent overall, and they do not have any go to scorer. Smart is the most important offensive player, but he is also one of the worst shooters on the team. Rozier is able to handle the ball, but also can’t break 40 percent shooting.
Theis and Ojeleye are hovering around 30 percent from deep, and if they are not shooting the the three ball they are not going to be doing anything on offense. Shane Larkin has been one of the best offensive sparks, but he causes a drop off on defense, and cannot be trusted on a consistent basis. He has his moments, but is not someone the Celtics can go to on a regular basis.
Morris would easily be the most deadly offensive weapon for that second unit, but he has been spending more time with the starters now. Baynes has reliability, but he is not going to be generating offense for a second unit that has very little.
Rozier and Smart can be trusted to run the offense, but the cannot have their best impact without players around them shooting. They are the ones that are able to create, but their shooting struggles make it essential for players around them to hit their open shots.
The second unit needs floor spacing for Smart and Rozier to do more damage in the paint, and they do not have a single player on the second unit that commands a ton of respect from the defense while shooting.
The Celtics have the best defensive second unit in the NBA, but the offense holds them back from being the best overall second unit. That is where the frustration comes from. Defense is supposed to be harder to come by on a second unit, and the Celtics have more than enough of that. If they could just have decent offense, and not be disasters on that end when the second unit is out there, they could start putting together more complete games.
No matter how good the defense is, the Celtics kill themselves with scoring lulls, and the starting unit still has not been good enough to make up for it. Brad Stevens uses a great and deep rotation, keeping Kyrie Irving fresh for as long as possible, and that leaves them susceptible to far too many scoring droughts.
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Finding balance on the second unit will be a story all season long, and there is a lot of room for improvement. On offense, the Celtics could expect a bit more from almost anyone on that second unit. The real fear, however, is that the defense comes back to earth before the offense catches up, leaving them with a second unit that could lead to some loses.