Boston Celtics: 1 stud and 1 dud from C’s late game loss to the Miami Heat

Boston Celtics stud: Daniel Theis

When it was announced that Robert Williams would be out of the lineup for an extended period of time, many assumed that third-year forward, Grant Williams, was going to be the player that would most benefit from receiving more minutes and a bigger role within the frontcourt rotation.

And while this still very well may prove to be the case for the 23-year-old as time goes on, it has been veteran big man, Daniel Theis, who has shined quite bright over this two-game stretch without Williams in tow, and, Wednesday night, he was easily the second-best big on the floor for the Celtics, and was arguably the best when it comes to offensive production.

Showcasing his ability to help diversify an offense with his ability to bully when in the post, slam it down when tossed lobs at the rim, and step beyond the 3-point line to help space out the offense (something that they don’t typically get with the Time Lord), in just over 17 minutes played on the night the German-born baller went a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor–including one tightly contested deep ball and a few tremendous finishes at the rim–for an impressive 15 points, giving him the third-highest mark on the team.

A player we deemed as someone who needed to step up after Boston’s recent string of injuries, over the last couple of games he’s certainly been doing so and Ime Udoka will need him to continue this level of play if they wish to strengthen their chances of seeing a long postseason run.