The Boston Celtics find themselves very well-represented in Bleacher Report’s new 2019-20 top-100 NBA players list, with five players and four starters making the cut in the eyes of analysts Andy Bailey and Dan Favale.
While these sorts of ranking usually have a boatload of unacknowledged bias baked in whether the rankings are to your liking or not, the Bleacher Report duo lan heavily on evidence-based arguments throughout, which can at times create for some surprising juxtapositions we’ll get to later.
But also, Favale and Bailey arrive some very favorable assessments of Boston’s roster, with only starting center Daniel Theis on the outside of the top 100 players in the league as far as this pair is concerned.
So, who made the cut from the Celtics, and where are they ranked?
No. 54: Marcus Smart
The team’s agent of chaos is given his due, as much for his offense as his widely-renowned defensive capabilities.
“Few players embody the argument for advanced stats better than Marcus Smart,” note Bailey and Favale, pointing out the Texan’s below-average effective field-goal percentage; “his basic numbers look relatively modest.”
They are careful to note that what the Flower Mound native brings to the table is his absurdly adaptable defense, winning plays, high motor and playmaking skills; “And he doesn’t demand a ton of touches on offense.”
No. 43: Gordon Hayward
Speaking of playmakers, it’s great to see the Butler product still in the top 50, and his play before the hiatus supports that assessment. While the authors are correct to note Hayward’s diminished offensive game post-injury, they also fairly credit what he still does — and does very well.
“Hayward is shooting a remarkable 55.3 percent inside the arc,” note Bailey and Favale, “including 53.6 percent on pull-up two-pointers.” They also share the former Bulldog is in the 91st percentile in terms of efficiency with his spot-up possessions — roughly 20 % of his offensive game.
While stardom may be off the table for a post-injury Hayward as these two analysts suggest, it’s probably safe to say the former All-Star is still one of the best all-around scoring options in the East, and a key part of the Celtics’ playoff aspirations.
No. 30: Jaylen Brown
It’s almost become a cliche to note how while All-Star swingman Jayson Tatum’s growth has gotten the lion’s share of media attention, Brown has also come into his own as a two-way player.
But there’s a reason why the Cal-Berkeley product has garnered so much attention this season, and Favale and Bailey haven’t missed it. Sharing Brown is “averaging a career-high 20.4 points per game while downing 38.1 # of his threes and a gaga 55.2 # of his twos,” they highlight the Georgia native’s increased accuracy (73.6 #) at and frequency to the foul line.
With a fair assessment of his limitations, they don’t make the mistake many did after last season of assuming he’ll stall where he is. And where he is at right now is already a borderline All-Star with room to grow — with one of the most ardent motors in the league to achieve it.
No. 24: Kemba Walker
While we’ve seen a little slippage with age, the UConn product is justifiably ranked among the stars of this league, a status he’s earned with sweat equity.
While there’s concern all those miles racked up as the Charlotte Hornets sole source of serious offense over much of his career may be getting to him, Bailey and Favale are careful to note he could easily be ranked even higher given the narrow gap between the Bronx native and other top point guards.
The pair correctly assess his importance to Boston’s offense, as a crunch-time staple “draining 36.4 percent of his pull-up three-pointers, which he launches more often than everyone in the league except for Luka Doncic, James Harden, Damian Lillard and Trae Young.”
No. 11 Jayson Tatum
We all knew the Duke product would be the highest-ranked Celtic on this list, but few probably expected to see him on the precipice of a top-10 assessment in just his third season. And while it may be strange to see the Milwaukee Bucks’ Khris Middleton ranked higher, we’ll take the ranking just the same.
Favale and Bailey note only Caris LeVert and Damian Lillard knock down more pull-up treys among players shooting at least three per game, and that no player ranks higher in effective field-goal percentage among players taking shots with four second or less on the clock.
“It is no accident Tatum owns their largest net-rating swing (plus-10.9),” they note; “His two-way impact is their foremost building block.”
We’re inclined to agree.
