The Boston Celtics find five of their players listed among ESPN’s list of the 50 best players in the Disney-hosted restart held at the Wide World of Sports complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
That should probably come as no surprise given the East’s third-place franchise owns a top-five defense and offense, with at least five of that conference’s best players by most estimations, this one included.
While starting center Daniel Theis is yet to get the national media love he deserves for his excellence on both sides of the ball, all four of the team’s starters register in this analysis of the so-called bubble’s 50 best players, as does defensive specialist and frequent finisher Marcus Smart.
A panel of Andre Snelling, Kevin Pelton, Tim Bontemps and Tim McMahon wrote up why each Celtics belongs in such lofty company, so let’s take a look at their rationales and rankings.
No. 38 – Marcus Smart
“A versatile defender who can guard bigger opponents and rack up steals, Smart ranks in the NBA’s top 30 in the defensive rating of ESPN’s real plus-minus (RPM),” shares ESPN’s Pelton, who notes the Texan is connecting a career-high 2.4 3-pointers per game in 2019-20.
No. 36 – Gordon Hayward
“Hayward … is averaging 17.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists with a 56.3% effective field goal percentage,” relates Bontemps, who believes Hayward’s resurgence this season critical for “the Celtics … to make it out of the East.”
No. 25 – Jaylen Brown
“Brown responded well to a larger role this season, averaging career bests in scoring (20.4 PPG), rebounds (6.4) and field goal percentage (49.0%)” suggests MacMahon, who notes the Georgia native is one of only six NBA players in history to have multiple 30-point playoff games at 21 years or younger.
No. 20 – Kemba Walker
“Walker has taken on a lower usage rate this season, which has allowed teammates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to move into leadership roles,” observed Snellings. The ESPN analyst suggests the UConn product will be crucial to creating opportunities for his teammates as much as himself in high-pressure moments.
No. 13 – Jayson Tatum
“Tatum was playing some of his best basketball when the season was suspended, averaging 29.2 PPG with a true shooting percentage of 60.8% in February and March,” opines MacMahon.
However, the senior ESPN writer sagely points out the Milwaukee Bucks loom as a major test of the first-time All-Star’s newfound offensive proclivity, having held him to an average of 12.0 points on 36.4% shooting last postseason.
Soon enough, we will find out!
