Expect Daniel Theis to Play a Major Role in the Playoffs
Daniel Theis could become one of the most important players on the Boston Celtics come playoff time
The Boston Celtics are still figuring out exactly how their rotation is going to play out this season, and injuries have not made the process any quicker. It is still hard to tell exactly what is going to be asked of the youngest players on the team, especially the rookies coming off the bench.
We are starting to see more distinct trends, but there is a lot that needs to be established before we can know who is going to be doing what. One of the trends we can see right now, however, is that Daniel Theis is doing everything to ensure that he will get as many minutes as he can handle.
When he was brought in this season, people were not even sure that Theis would get any minutes. So far he is proving to be one of the most reliable players on the team, that gives valuable contributions on both ends on a nightly basis.
The defense is where you see how much Stevens trusts him, and that is going to be even more important come playoff time. The Celtics are still experimenting, and are feeling out different options in different lineups. In the playoffs, they will not be playing around like that anymore, and will have to stick with only what they trust most.
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With the defense Theis is playing, that trust is always going to be there. He is great in small ball situations, and does not back down form any bigs. He is not able to handle everything, but he brings reliability, and is able to hold his own when it is needed.
He is a boost on the boards despite being undersized, and Stevens has no problem using him in any lineup, and in the most difficult situations. Defense is always the key to trust, and it is why Theis should expect a role in the playoffs.
Defense, however, is not going to be the only part of his role in the playoffs. The Celtics are still figuring out what they can expect from their second unit on offense, and there is not a lot to get too excited about.
The reason Theis’ role should get better the moment the playoffs start is because he will not lose any minutes because of defense, and he is looking like a player that should be more involved on offense. Three point shooting is a luxury on the second unit, and the Celtics might want to get Theis more opportunities to get that boost.
Theis is shooting just below 33 percent from three and over 52 percent overall. The best part is that three point shooting has been looking a lot better. Theis looks like a safe bet to shoot over 50 percent, and could be over 35 percent from three come playoff time and no one else on the bench is going to be doing that.
The Celtics know that Theis is not going to disrupt their rhythm, and we are getting to the point where defenses will have to give him more respect than the shooters around him. The Celtics know they can trust Theis on both ends, so when that rotation shortens in the playoffs, his role will naturally increase.
With the way Theis has played in every role he has been given this season, he could emerge as one of the most important players come playoff time. At the very least, he will be a reliable option on both ends, but the Celtics know they need to find an extra boost from the second unit.
Theis has also proven that he can play with the starters, and not hold them back in anyway. In fact, he is the best small ball option to play next to Al Horford with defense in mind, while getting close to the reliability Marcus Morris could bring from three point range.
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Theis will have to gradually work his way up, but there is no reason for his role to do anything but increase with the way he has been playing. If this trend continues, then he could be a real difference maker off the bench come playoff time.