Rating the Celtics roster – CelticsBlog

As we come off the excessive of a championship and enter the beginning of a brand new season, I’ve been tasked with rating the Celtics roster. So right here is my rankings of the most effective gamers on the Celtics roster, from Anton Watson to Jayson Tatum.

17. Anton Watson

I’m not going to name Anton Watson mini Al Horford simply but, however the 54th choose within the 2024 NBA Draft did present some flashes in Summer time League. He’s a do-it-all participant on protection who’s a extremely good rebounder for his measurement at 6-foot-8. His three-point share elevated over all 5 seasons of his collegiate profession.

16. JD Davison

Davison has been within the NBA for 2 seasons now and has not carved a job out for himself. In simply 105 profession minutes, Davison has a profession 35 factors, 21 assists, and 19 rebounds. After a really disappointing Summer time League, I’m not positive how Davison carves out a profession with the Celtics.

15. Drew Peterson

In three NBA video games final season, Drew Peterson shot 60% from past the arc. In 56 G-League video games, he shot 37% from three-point vary. At 6-foot-9, Peterson has the dimensions to grow to be a strong NBA position participant and the Celtics ought to completely proceed to try to develop him.

14. Baylor Scheierman

The thirtieth choose within the 2024 draft is a knockdown shooter. A profession 39% three-point shooter in faculty, Scheierman must be an elite shooter to achieve the NBA. He didn’t make these threes in Summer time League, taking pictures simply 29% from past the arc in 5 video games. If he’s ever going to carve out a job in Boston, he’ll have to make photographs.

13. Jordan Walsh

The thirty seventh choose within the 2023 draft didn’t have a job final season and I don’t count on Jordan Walsh to have a lot of a job this season. An elite defender at Arkansas, Walsh had a tough Summer time League after enjoying effectively within the Maine Celtics run to the G-League Finals final season, averaging 14.5 factors in 48 video games. Walsh ought to proceed to be a key a part of Maine’s roster this season.

12. Jaden Springer

The Jaden Springer commerce was attention-grabbing. The forty first choose doesn’t look like a giant funding, however with how deep the Celtics are into the second apron, Springer’s $4.02 million wage this season balloons with the posh and repeater taxes tacked on. Nonetheless, Brad Stevens clearly likes the participant and he ought to. Springer is an elite defensive participant who, if he can develop an offensive sport, couldl be an actual participant who can contribute to a extremely good staff.

11. Neemias Queta

After signing a three-year contract with the Celtics this summer time, I count on Neemias Queta to have an opportunity to carve out a job for himself on the 2024-25 Celtics early within the season when Kristaps Porzingis is out. For a man who can not shoot, Queta’s sport is fairly modernized. Whereas his contact across the rim is dangerous — he missed a jarring quantity of layups final season — he is an efficient pick-and-roll participant who performs above the rim. On the defensive finish, Queta is an efficient rim protector who nonetheless has room to develop. Whereas his sport is tough across the edges, if Queta can proceed to enhance, he will likely be a giant a part of the Celtics going ahead.

10. Luke Kornet

Luke Kornet is an attention-grabbing case research with regards to bigs and stretching the ground. He holds the file for essentially the most made three pointers in faculty basketball historical past by a seven footer at 150. But, he solely took one three pointer final season.

He’s considered one of Boston’s steadiest gamers when he’s within the sport. Along with his nice contact across the rim and the way he has improved as a rim protector, Luke Kornet is a greater participant ever since he stopped taking threes. Many individuals need Kornet to take three pointers once more, I simply don’t assume it’s crucial.

9. Xavier Tillman Sr.

Earlier than we get began, let’s re-live Tillman’s enormous three in Sport 3 of the Finals.

Tillman is an efficient NBA participant. Whereas he’s not the display and roll participant Kornet or Queta are, he takes some threes and is a extremely good participant, all the time discovering the proper locations to be. There are two locations that put Tillman above Kornet and Queta for me. First is his versatility, whereas 100% of Kornets minutes and 95% of Queta’s minutes got here at middle final season, based on Cleansing the Glass, simply 79% of Tillman’s minutes got here on the 5 after his commerce to Boston. Because of this, Joe Mazzulla is ready to use Tillman in additional methods than he can Kornet or Queta. The opposite, and extra distinguished, cause is that Tillman is a far more versatile defender. If Kornet or Queta get switched onto a guard, they’re toast however Tillman is ready to transfer his toes and maintain guys in entrance of him. Within the playoffs, that’s such an enormous issue as a result of whereas it might get tough for Kornet at occasions (Queta by no means received actual playoff minutes), it by no means felt like Tillman was hurting the staff with him on the courtroom.

8. Payton Pritchard

It’s form of loopy we’re getting into Yr 5 of Payton Pritchard’s Celtics profession. His buzzer beater towards the Warmth as a rookie in 2021 feels prefer it was yesterday. The twenty sixth choose within the 2020 NBA Draft, Pritchard was in the identical highschool recruiting class as Jayson Tatum.

Final season was Pritchard’s finest, averaging 9.6 factors and taking pictures 38.5% from three on a profession excessive 4.7 makes an attempt per sport. His three-point taking pictures is such a precious half to this Celtics staff, as his vary goes to this point past the three-point line. I count on one other huge yr from Pritchard, after his two buzzer beaters within the Finals.

7. Sam Hauser

Undrafted in 2022, Hauser has grow to be a key a part of the Celtics rotation resulting from his measurement and taking pictures. Everyone knows the kind of shooter Hauser is, profession 42% from three-point vary, however his protection is what has caught out to me over this previous season. Utilizing his measurement and size, Hauser has found out a method to have the ability to maintain gamers in entrance of him. At 6-foot-8, he has the dimensions to protect guards and wings and his athleticism is underrated.

6. Al Horford

All of us love Al Horford. The 38-year-old nonetheless has quite a lot of ball left and he made a big impact on the Celtics championship run final season. All of us bear in mind his three that result in his fired-up response in Sport 5 towards the Cavs.

What about his seven three-pointers in Sport 3 towards Indiana?

Horford was superior all through your entire playoffs and proved that, even at 37-years-old, he might nonetheless play at a excessive degree within the greatest moments. Making 15 playoff begins in 19 video games, Horford averaged 9.2 factors and seven.0 rebounds making huge performs all through the playoffs. He confirmed he might nonetheless transfer his toes effectively and guard gamers on the perimeter at an elite degree for a 37-year-old middle. There will likely be a giant position on Horford to begin the season with Porzingis out however the ageless marvel has proven he’s up for the problem.

5. Derrick White

It hurts me a bit of to rank White at 5 and if this was a “most essential to the staff” rankings, he could be larger however it’s not that. This doesn’t change the truth that White is an distinctive participant and has been, to me, the most effective transfer of Brad Stevens’ tenure. For starters, he’s the most effective shot blocking guard within the NBA.

He’s additionally possible the Celtics finest level of assault defender on the staff, making the All-Defensive Second Crew in back-to-back seasons. His offense has additionally gotten so much higher as effectively. When he first got here to the Celtics, White was taking pictures 31% from three-point vary. For the reason that begin of final season, he has shot 39% from three and has grow to be a extra full offensive participant. In fact, no shot was larger than his dagger in Sport 4 towards the Pacers.

Or his shot to place the Celtics up 14 in Sport 2 of the Finals.

Derrick White has grow to be one of many final glue guys within the NBA and is without doubt one of the key figures of the Celtics future.

4. Kristaps Porzingis

The Unicorn offers the Celtics a weapon in contrast to another they’ve. Simply watch his efficiency from Sport 1 of the Finals.

His first sport as a Celtic within the common season confirmed us these flashes, too.

A top-5 rim protector to go together with how he stretches the courtroom as a shooter is as nightmare to take care of. He has since added a post-up sport to his bag and that’s particular as effectively. You can’t have a mismatch on KP as a result of it’s simply too straightforward for him.

It’s simply unfair how good Porzingis is when he’s proper and the way he suits with Tatum and Brown. Along with his rim safety and layered offensive sport, when Porzingis is on the market and enjoying at a excessive degree for the Celtics, they’re practically unbeatable.

3. Jrue Vacation

What does Jrue Vacation not do on a basketball courtroom? He shot 60% on nook threes this previous season, he turned a roamer off the ball in Joe Mazzulla’s protection, and he nonetheless did all the opposite Jrue Vacation issues, like being a fantastic level of assault defender and being good with the ball in his fingers. One factor that’s a particularly underrated a part of Vacation’s sport is his skill to publish up little guards making it not possible for groups to cover their level guard on him.

There was additionally his strip of Andrew Nembhard in Sport 3 of the Pacers sequence which all however sealed the sport.

Jrue Vacation is a giant time participant who simply impacts successful in so some ways.

2. Jaylen Brown

Mr. Convention Finals and Finals MVP is available in at quantity two on this checklist which must be a shock to nobody. Jaylen Brown is without doubt one of the nice success tales in participant improvement. Brown put the work in: after taking pictures 29% from three in his lone season at Cal, Brown has grow to be a knockdown shooter at a profession 36% mark. He’s additionally far more managed in his sport and he’s keen to tackle the project of guarding the opposing staff’s finest participant, as we noticed within the Finals when he was tasked with defending Luka Doncic.

He turned the staff chief as soon as the staff traded Marcus Sensible this summer time.

Jaylen Brown entered the NBA as a challenge and he and the staff have turned him into one of many elite two-way gamers within the NBA, with a leap shot that earned a double bang from Mike Breen.

1. Jayson Tatum

To me, this isn’t a debate. Jayson Tatum is the most effective participant on the staff, irrespective of who received the Finals or Jap Convention Finals MVPs. Tatum has grow to be the most effective and underrated defensive gamers within the NBA, with the ability to guard 1 via 5 and taking up the duty of guarding the Mavericks middle within the Finals so the Celtics might change Luka’s choose and rolls, to not point out how a lot of an improved passer and finisher across the rim Tatum has grow to be.

On the most important evening of his profession, Tatum confirmed off these new abilities he has added to his sport.

Additionally, when Tatum will get going he’s practically not possible to cease. All of us bear in mind Sport 7 towards Philly.

And Sport 6 in Milwaukee.

Jayson Tatum didn’t take over video games like that final season as a result of he didn’t have to. As a substitute, he did no matter it took to win and he was nonetheless superior whereas doing it.