The Boston Celtics will need more from Enes Kanter in Orlando

While the Houston Rockets have garnered the most attention for playing small ball, the Boston Celtics have had success using a similar strategy.

The Boston Celtics have the requisite talent to make a run to the NBA Finals, but they will need to make some adjustments in order to make that dream a reality in the most magical place on earth.

There is one glaring adjustment that can push Boston to the championship game for the first time since 2010. I believe expanding Enes Kanter’s role will give them a better chance at coming out of the east.

The Cs signed Kanter to fill a void in the post after the departures of Al Horford, Marcus Morris, and Aron Baynes. Although the Turkish big is not an extremely gifted player, he has been an absolute monster on the glass, leading the team with 7.7 rebounds per game.

Kanter has been a difference-maker despite ranking eighth on the team in minutes per game. He has made the most of his minutes and ranks first in player efficiency rating among Boston Celtics players that average over 15 minutes per game.

They have the potential to come out of the Eastern Conference, but it will be a difficult task to win a seven-game series playing small ball against teams like Milwaukee, Toronto, and Philadelphia.

The 2019 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Bucks is enough reason to doubt Boston’s ability to win in the playoffs. Despite winning game one, the Cs were bullied for the rest of the series.

Milwaukee outrebounded Boston by 20 over the last four games of the series and clearly asserted dominance in the post. It may be more alarming that last year’s Celtics was bigger and more physical than this year’s team.

Kanter is going to be extremely important as Boston goes to battle in the playoffs. Let me be clear, I am not saying he has to be a significant force on the offensive end. That said, he should see an increase in minutes simply to have an impact on the defensive end.

It is going to take a team effort to guard players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. Kanter will not be able to stick with them, but his presence and physicality in the post could make a huge difference for Boston.

The Celtics have the talent to get to the NBA Finals, but they must be smart when it comes to exploiting matchups against different teams. Enes Kanter is a guy that can help neutralize mismatches that favor the bigger teams out east.

Kanter might not be flashy, but he will be essential for Boston to make a deep run in the postseason.