It's only taken Josh Minott two starts to give Celtics exactly what they needed

After the Boston Celtics’ 125-105 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, they moved to 2-0 when Josh Minott starts. The former Minnesota Timberwolves forward made his first-career start on Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans and played well enough to earn a second against the Cavs.

That performance, clearly, wasn’t a one-off.

In fact, Minott has impacted multiple facets of the game in a significant way, any time he gets the chance. He finished the night with 11 points, 14 rebounds, three steals, and a block to help the Cs past Cleveland. 

“Yeah, he has an understanding of what the standard is, how he has to play and compete,” Joe Mazzulla praised postgame. “Just his ability to make plays on both ends of the floor, his versatility [is great]. He still gave up some plays, so he’s got to get better with that and continue to improve there.”

Minott’s first task on Wednesday was to slow down All-NBA forward Evan Mobley, who entered the matchup averaging 18.3 points per game. While Mobley wound up getting his numbers, they didn’t come easily.

He had to deal with Minott picking him up full court and making him battle for every move he made with the basketball. The below possession is just one example of this:

Josh Minott somewhat replaces what the Celtics lost in Jayson Tatum

His defense wasn’t even the most impressive part of Minott’s game. He’s been an absolute monster on the glass, which is an area where Boston struggled with a ton through their first few games.

His 14 boards against the Cavs were a huge reason why the score finished the way that it did. When they’d play a possession of good defense, they were rewarded, instead of having to strap back in to try and prevent second-chance points.

“Josh has been great,” Jaylen Brown explained after the win. “He's got to keep building on it … Keep being consistent, keep rebounding. All of that stuff is great. That's going to make huge contributions to our team … Tonight was an excellent game for him. That's exactly what we need.”

What’s funny about Minott and the way he impacts the game on the glass is that it’s so similar to what Jayson Tatum does when he’s healthy. When the star forward was ruled out for the majority of the season with a torn Achilles, many thought about how much they’d miss his scoring -- not so much his 8.5 rebounds per game.

Even then, it’s not so much about the number; it’s about how he gets to that number. Both Tatum and Minott are athletic rebounders. They crash towards the ball and go get it, rather than just playing the positioning game like many traditional bigs do.

Minott’s ability to fly towards the loose balls enables the Celtics to play the chaotic, help-heavy defense they’ve rolled with this year. It’s been a revelation through these two games, for sure.

If the 22-year-old keeps playing to this standard, he’ll make Celtics fans as happy as they, and the organization, have made him.

"I just love this place so much, man,” Minott raved in his walk-off interview with NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin. “This place just brings me so much happiness. My teammates, coaches, the staff... I'm talking top to bottom. I can't thank God enough."