Midseason Celtics player power rankings (Part 1)

We are at the halfway point of the Celtics season so let’s take a look at how the individual members of the roster stack up against each other in a midseason edition of the player power rankings. Here’s Part 1 of the rankings with Part 2 coming later today.  

Not ranked: Gordon Hayward.

15. KaDeem Allen: The second-round pick has only played during garbage time of two blowout games for the Celtics this year. However, he’s been a solid contributor for the Maine Red Claws all season in the G-League, averaging 15.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. Allen’s most NBA-ready skill is his perimeter defense and that has translated to the G-League (2.7 steals per game). If the Celtics lose some depth in the backcourt due to injury, he could see some opportunity in the second half of the year.

14. Jabari Bird (Previous rank: 14): Like Allen, Bird has spent the majority of his time in Maine, leading the team in points per game (21.7) while shooting an impressive 52 percent from the field. His only meaningful playing time with the Celtics last month came during a tough one-minute stint against James Harden and the Rockets. Still, Bird will always be remembered this year for helping prevent the Celtics from opening the season with an 0-3 record down in in Philadelphia. Bird admirably slowed down J.J. Redick in that contest on the perimeter, as the Celtics rallied to a 102-92 win.  

13. Abdel Nader (Previous rank: 12): With injuries up and down the roster, last season’s G-League Rookie of the Year has had plenty of opportunities to make an impact during his first year in Boston. His skills have failed to translate yet though. The 24-year-old is shooting a woeful 34 percent from the field and 31 percent from 3-point range during limited minutes over 19 games. He’s shown glimpses of potential (Houston game) but his stints on the court have been largely underwhelming on both ends. The Celtics’ defense has fallen off a cliff when he’s been on the court (118.3 defensive rating) and he’s been a part of some ugly runs by opponents. It’s still early, but if the Celtics need to clear out an additional roster spot at the trade deadline, he’s probably the most likely name to go.

12. Guerschon Yabusele (Previous rank: 13): The 22-year-old Frenchmen still hasn’t played more than 10 minutes in a game this year but he’s made some positive contributions over the last few weeks in limited stints. The biggest takeaway early is his ability be a scoring threat from the top of the key. He has shown NO hesitation to shoot from downtown, taking a team-high 7.4 attempts per 36 minutes from beyond the arc. The good news? He’s knocked down 41 percent of them. Yabusele has also shown a nose for the offensive glass (13 percent offensive rebounding rate), which has come in handy in spots. His defense is still a major work in progress as he adjusts to the speed to the NBA game, but there are clearly some NBA skills here for the Celtics to develop over the long-term. The 22-year-old also gave us this celebration last month, which may be the highlight of the year so far:  

11. Shane Larkin (Previous rank: 11): It’s been a rollercoaster ride of a season for the journeyman point guard. Larkin has been stuck behind a deep backcourt rotation for much of the year, but has managed to make an impact with his aggressive man-to-man defense and distributing instincts. The 25-year-old also overcame a horrific shooting month in November, (23.5 percent from field, 15.4 percent from 3-point range) that limited his playing time despite injuries to Marcus Smart in spots. Since then, Larkin has turned things around in a big way, shooting a red-hot 50 percent from 3-point range in December, with a few double-digit scoring performances mixed in. Those outputs (Denver, Charlotte, Dallas) helped the Celtics win tight games and help to bump him up a bit on this list.



The 5-foot-10 guard is going to have to battle for minutes behind Terry Rozier and Smart all year long, but he should find some chances on nights those guys are struggling with their shots (which is more often that not. 

10. Semi Ojeleye (Previous rank: 10): This feels a bit low for the 6-foot-6 versatile rookie, but it’s more reflective of just how well the rest of this roster has played to this point. Ojeleye has been a defensive stud early on, particularly with his ability to guard four different positions on the floor. That has made him a favorite of Brad Stevens early this year, as the head coach has used the SMU product on everyone from LeBron James to Kristaps Porzingis in certain situations.





While he’s been a standout defensively, basketball is a two-way game and there is no denying the rookie has been a disappointment on offense. Ther 23-year-old has literally been a one-trick pony on offense, with 75 percent of his field goal attempts coming from 3-point range (1.9/game). He is shooting an ugly 28.8 percent on those attempts, which has weighed down the Celtics offense (98.1 offensive rating) while he has been on the court. Ojeleye averaged over 20 points per game in college so he has the skillset to be better than he’s shown. The swingman going to have to need to show some growth in the second half in order to keep a consistent spot in the rotation with Marcus Morris back healthy.

9. Marcus Morris (Previous rank: 6): One of the most important abilities in sports is availability and that’s surprisingly been a huge weakness for Morris this year. The 28-year-old forward had only missed six total games over his last three seasons in Phoenix and Detroit but a sore left knee has kept the veteran on the bench for over half (22 games) of the Celtics contests this year. When Morris has played, it’s been a mixed bag. He was merely playing his way back into game shape in a few of those contests and the rust produced some horrendous performances (i.e. Wizards game on Christmas). Other games, he looked like the guy the Celtics saw in Detroit: a midrange shot maker who gives his team some nice versatility on defense.



The Celtics are going to need that latter version of Morris in order to get past the Cavs in the playoffs, so that’s clearly what they are building him up for with their rest plans and minute limits. For the first half of the season though, Morris has been one of the few disappointments on this roster.

8. Daniel Theis (Previous rank: 9): Quite the climb for the 25-year-old rookie who started the season as an DNP-CD against the Cavs. Since then, Theis has established himself as a useful player on both ends of the floor. The German is arguably the team’s best rebounder, topping Boston regular rotation players in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage. His 11.4 rebounds per 36 minutes is the best on the team as well. More importantly on the defensive end, Theis is much more than just a rebounder. The 6-foot-9 center/forward is mobile enough to hold his own against opposing wings on switches, which has helped to make the C’s second unit defense a strength all year long. Offensively, Theis has been a bit disappointing from the perimeter (24.2 percent from 3-point range) but his shooting is steady from midrange (45 percent) and above-average at the rim (66 percent inside three feet). His ability to attack the paint hard on the pick-and-roll has made him a tough cover for a lot of teams. All of those abilities have turned Theis into a major bargain for the Celtics while providing great depth on the frontline behind Aron Baynes and Al Horford.



Part 2 coming later this week.