The Boston Celtics are already one of the youngest teams in the NBA this season in both age and overall experience in the league. This is especially true when you look at their bench.
Boston consistently starts four players under the age of 30, but there’s only one bench player on the roster over the age of 27. Only four of the 12 players who average at least 15 minutes a game are over the age of 27.
That youth hasn’t prevented the bench from being a big reason why the Boston Celtics have had the success they’ve had this season, though.
Statistically, it may not look like they have been one of the better reserve units in the league this season. Their bench scoring ranks 24th in the NBA, and their bench assist average ranks 22nd.
In terms of efficiency, though, the C’s bench has been one of the best in the league.
This youthful Boston Celtics bench has been quite efficient in 2020-21
They are making 47.2% of their field goal attempts, ranking fourth in the NBA. They also rank seventh in the league in 3-point shooting percentage (38.5%) and fifth in rebounds per game (18.0).
The impact Boston’s bench has had goes beyond just the stats, though.
Where would the team be without rookie point guard Payton Pritchard’s contributions off the bench while Kemba Walker healed up? Second-year forward Grant Williams leads the entire team in 3-point shooting percentage, connecting on 48.7% of his attempts.
Robert Williams leads the team in blocks despite only playing 15.3 minutes a game, and Semi Ojeleye has been clutch on defense along with providing some quality minutes on offense, too.
You don’t need to look any further than what Boston’s bench did against the Los Angeles Clippers in their 119-115 win on Friday night to realize how big of an impact those players can have.
Their second unit contributed 39 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists, and three steals while making six of the team’s 16 threes. That was all with Grant Williams, who normally comes off the bench for the C’s, earning a start and contributing 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists in 32 minutes.
For a team with little veteran options off the bench, Boston’s depth has been surprisingly good this season. In fact, their most experienced bench player, Jeff Teague, has arguably been the least consistent player for Boston this season.
That youth hasn’t kept the second unit from seeing the court, in large part because some of those young players have had to play.
Pritchard, Grant Williams, Ojeleye, and Carsen Edwards have all had to play bigger roles than expected for larger stretches of time due to injuries and COVID issues for Boston.
That unexpected amount of playing time will only continue to pay dividends as the season goes on, as these young players will be more battle-tested come crunch time in the regular season.
The stats may not show just how much of an impact Boston’s bench has had this season, but they’ve been a big reason why the shamrocks have been more than just the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown show this season.
The youthful Boston Celtics bench will be counted on in some pivotal moments moving forward. They already have early on this season, and this young group should only continue to get better.