Boston Celtics: Daniel Theis rises to the occasion in Cs win

This morning, the Houdini came up with three trades involving Boston Celtics big man Daniel Theis. Theis answered the call with a huge counter-flex in a 122-120 win on Sunday.

When I’m wrong–especially when it comes to a member of the Boston Celtics underperforming and possibly needing to be replaced–I will gladly admit it.

Thank you, Daniel Theis, for making this blessed first of 2021 one of those occasions.

At 6 A.M. eastern standard time this morning, I published an article criticizing the early play of Theis in the season’s first six games. I came up with three trades to send the German out of Beantown, and I called out the 2019-20 Celtics starting center for his play early on this season:

"While Thompson is averaging just shy of a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds, Theis is putting up the mundane stats (five points, four rebounds on 45/14/66 percent shooting) in a contract year.After getting a quality starter at the 5 in 2019-20, Danny Ainge is now paying $5 million per season for the kind of production the team could pick up on the undrafted free-agent market for pennies on the dollar.That he is no longer the top big in Beantown doesn’t bode well for his future. When Kemba Walker returns, Thompson will have done enough to earn the starting role, leaving Theis in no man’s land."

Theis answered the call with 15 points (1/2 from 3, 7/8 overall), four rebounds, an assist, and a steal in 25 minutes against the Detroit Pistons, moving the Cs above .500. Losing to Detroit again would have been disastrous, and the Cs did barely take the victory at the Little Caesar’s Arena with their 122-120 triumph on Sunday.

A win is a win, though, and the most important development was seeing Theis play well alongside Thompson in the starting lineup.

While that arrangement could well be temporary, with Kemba Walker set to return later this month, it is vital for the start of the Boston Celtics’ season for Theis to be working well with the first five.

Today was hopefully the start of Theis’ renaissance. HH doesn’t want a war on Theis…but if things aren’t going well we won’t keep our mouths shut.