Daniel Theis is playing nothing like a rookie for the Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics came into this season knowing there would be a lot of uncertainty with their rookies. It is too hard to know what could have been expected of them, but we also knew they would need to take on significant roles. The Celtics have Jayson Tatum, Semi Ojeleye, Jabari Bird, Abdel Nader, Guerschon Yabusele and Daniel Theis all playing their rookie season.
The Celtics have not needed all of them to take on a significant role, but that is too many roster spots for them to be disregarded. They were always going to be one of the biggest mysteries of this team, and Theis found himself in the most interesting position.
Theis is a rookie, but he is 25 years old and fresh off a defensive player of the year award overseas. He does not have the body of a rookie, and his game sense is much more advanced than most players in their first season.
It is hard to gauge how a player will translate coming from overseas, especially when they have no experience in the NBA. With Theis, a transition period was expected. Theis was brought in because of his elite defense as a small ball forward, and it is unfair to expect a rookie to have an impact on defense right away.
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There are all kinds of adjustments Theis would have to make, and being undersized meant he would have even more difficult matchups to catch up to. Fortunately, Theis has played nothing like a rookie at all, proving that he can sustain a role on this team.
Against the Pacers, he was trusted in the starting lineup with Jaylen Brown and Marcus Morris out. He did not fill up the stat sheet, but that is because they don’t need him to. What makes Theis such a special rookie is that he does so many other the things that are more difficult for rookies.
He has no problem getting comfortable with the starters, and his three point shooting allows him to be on the same page and contributing on offense, even if he is never going to be a top scorer. Theis disrupts nothing when he is on the court, and allows everyone around him to stay comfortable.
The Celtics do not have to accommodate anything with Theis. They do not need to adjust anything to make sure he is not hurting them, because he has proven that he can contribute in any situation.
Theis also has been a borderline elite defender. He is leading the best defensive second unit in the NBA, and he is bringing great rim protection despite being undersized, with no experience against this level of competition.
Theis is doing what he did overseas at the NBA level, and not even the most optimistic fans could have really seen that coming. Nobody really knew what they could expect out of him this season, and it did not take long before everyone has all the confidence in him.
There really are no concerns with Theis right now, and you never see that from an overseas rookie. He is doing everything the Celtics need from him, and he is playing any role they put him in. Brad Stevens clearly knows how Theis needs to be used, and everything is coming together wonderfully for the two of them.
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Theis is not going on any rookie of the year run, and he is not going to be one of the top players in the rotation. That being said, he is filling a desperate need for the Celtics. They have spent a long time looking for versatile but undersized forwards to anchor their defense for a while, and Theis might be the best one they have played yet.