Boston Celtics: Signing Tacko Fall to a two-way contract is playing with house money
Tacko Fall has quickly dunked his way into the hearts of Boston Celtics fans. Fall may have gone undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft, but he might have a very nice opportunity in front of him.
There has been a lot of buzz generating around Fall since the Boston Celtics waived Guerschon Yabusele. Many believe this move by Boston means Fall will be put on a two-way contract that will see him split his time between the Celtics and Maine Red Claws.
Fall has quietly, or not so quietly, produced in the NBA Summer League so far, averaging 8.5 points and 4.5 rebounds over 14 minutes per game. He has also racked up multiple highlight reel blocks and dunks.
Say what you want about Fall’s game but it would be a great idea for Boston to sign Fall to a two-way contract. Waiving Yabusele and signing Fall to a two-way contract is all about potential.
Yabusele showed little promise throughout his time in Boston and quite frankly was a waste of the 16th pick in 2016. The Boston Celtics passed up on players like Pascal Siakam and Malcolm Brogdon for Yabusele.
Although one can argue Yabusele is a more polished player than Fall, it is obvious that Fall has much more potential to play a role in Boston. When you’re looking at prospective players to put on two-way contracts, it seems much more reasonable to select a player with a higher ceiling.
It is no surprise that Fall is already a strong rebounder, but he has also shown flashes of potential on offense. Fall is not the quickest, but he has solid footwork and a nice repertoire of post moves.
Fall has a long way to go and must work on many aspects of his game. First and foremost, his jump shot must improve. No one expects Fall to shoot the 3-pointer efficiently, but he must be able to knock down midrange shots at a higher clip.
Along the same lines, Fall can’t hit free throws to save his life. Fall shot 43.2% from the line over his career at University of Central Florida. Fall is naturally going to draw fouls because of his size so it will go a long way if he can get that free throw percentage up.
Fall may never develop into a quality NBA player, but it is worth a shot at developing a guy of his size. Rostering Yabusele was almost like carrying an empty roster spot so why not take a chance on a player with much more potential.
Fall must also work on his defense outside the paint. The NBA is now filled with big men who can play out on the wing and Fall may have to step out and defend them. I am certainly curious to see how the Celtics help Fall develop this skill.
The bottom line is you can’t teach 7’7″. Fall has a very long way to go, but a two-way contract is the best thing for him. It will be really beneficial for Fall to get reps in both the NBA as well as the G League.
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Fall may never come close to being an elite center in the NBA, but he can definitely be a contributor to a successful team if he develops his game. No one expects him to be the next Shaquille O’Neal or even Yao Ming, so putting Fall on a two-way contract can do the Celtics little-to-no harm.