Boston Celtics: 3 C’s with the most to prove if the season continues
By Mark Nilon
Daniel Theis
All season long, we’ve discussed beyond count about how the Boston Celtics need to bolster their front court rotation. To some here at HH, however, the team’s current starting center Daniel Theis has made a case for himself as a long term contributor for the C’s with his solid play in 2019-20.
Through 58 games, the third year big has put up averages of 9.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game on 57 percent shooting from the field and 32 percent shooting from deep. He has proved to be the best fit in the starting rotation at the five as made evident by his counting stats as well as doing the little things that often go unnoticed such as hustle points, basketball IQ and, as made evident by FanSided’s own Josh Wilson, his service as a fantastic screen setter.
"Setting screens is a thankless job, and one that Theis has really leaned into. He is relentless, particularly along the perimeter, setting multiple screens per possession to get as many possible openings for his teammates. Theis logs 4.1 screen assists per game, leading to 9.0 points per game for Boston, both leading the team."
However, despite his production this season, it’s hard to believe Theis is the answer at center, especially when going up against elite bigs when it matters most in the postseason. In the Eastern Conference alone the team will likely find themselves going up against the likes of stellar big men such as Joel Embiid, Al Horford, Nikola Vučević and Giannis Antetokounmpo, just to name a few.
This offseason, the team could likely look to add more talent into their front court either through free agency, trade or the NBA Draft. If and/ or when the season resumes, Daniel Theis will likely want to perform at his best to prove to Boston that he truly can be a long term answer at the pivot or, at least, within the rotation.
Every minute counts for the 28-year-old German native and, if the season ever resumes, he’ll have to prove himself worthy of consideration for the team’s starting five moving past this year.