3 potential solutions to the Celtics' Kyrie-less scoring problems

For a few weeks there, it looked like the Celtics turned the corner on the offensive end. They had one of the best offenses in the league during the month of February as they slowly but surely got healthy. But that improvement came to an end abruptly last Sunday night. Once Kyrie Irving, Daniel Theis and Marcus Smart all went down with injuries during the same loss to the Pacers, the game changed.

Without Theis and Smart in the fold, there is no question that this team's defense is going to take a step back eventually. That pair has been two of Brad Stevens' most versatile defenders all year and there are no replacements for either on this roster. Their value to this offense can't be underrated though either. Smart's pass-first mentality (5.6 assists per game) since the All-Star break had been an essential part of establishing a formidable second unit. Theis was also a high percentage finisher around the basket (74.1 percent inside three feet) for Stevens in the pick-and-roll but without the defensive drawbacks of a Greg Monroe.

With Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown also sidelined for the time being, Boston's sources of offenses are few and far between on the roster. Since Irving went down, the Celtics rank 27th in the NBA in offensive efficiency, despite facing a host of mediocre defenses during the last week (Washington, Orlando, New Orleans). Outside of the second half of the Hornets game, the Celtics have remained competitive in these games because of their defense, not their offense.

The situation creates a complicated balancing act for Stevens as he awaits the return of Irving and Brown to the floor. Both of Boston's top scorers will undoubtedly help the team's issues, but the timetables on their return are still not clear yet. The Celtics could still play several more games without both and a tough upcoming schedule this week (vs. OKC, four-game West Coast trip) could open the door for putting the No. 2 seed back if someone in the East pack gets hot.

“We’re going to have to figure out how to score with Jaylen and Kyrie out,” Stevens said bluntly after Sunday's loss to the Pelicans.

So what are a few potential solutions for Stevens to put a band-aid on Boston's offense until reinforcements arrive? Here are a few possibilities that he could consider.

1. Avoid playing Abdel Nader and Semi Ojeleye together: Given the limitations of the roster situation, Stevens has no choice but to play both at some point in games right now. However, outside of making an open 3-point jumper once in a while, both of these guys are huge limitations right now on the offensive end of the floor. Ojeleye straight up refuses to shoot the ball sometimes when he gets open looks, which is understandable given his 29.8 percent mark from 3-point range. Nader is more reliable from downtown but he's a black hole on his drives to the paint, with an ugly 46.2 shooting percentage in the restricted area. This team can't afford to have two major liabilities like that on the floor together that aren't threats to drive the ball. It's time for Stevens to start staggering their minutes to help avoid scoring lulls.

2. Give Guerschon Yabusele more of a shot: The rookie power forward looked respectable in 18 minutes against the Wizards, playing with energy, hitting a 3-point jumper and an acrobatic finger roll in the lane. His defense needs some serious work and he's a tough fit amid a Celtics frontcourt that is already heavy on true bigs (Monroe, Aron Baynes), but there's no denying he brings a more diverse skillset on offense than Nader and Ojeleye at this point. If the next couple weeks are about Stevens finding out what he has in certain guys for spot duty in the postseason, Yabusele deserves a longer look. The team knows what it has in Nader and Ojeleye and on certain nights, the cons of both outweigh the pros. Yabusele provides a different element with his size, offensive rebounding and passing ability. Against teams that play a traditional power forward off the bench, Yabusele should get a chance.

3. Play two scoring starters together at all times: Stevens has always been a fan of separating his first and second units for significant minutes. With Irving and Brown out over the past week, he's tried to continue that despite his shorthanded lineups and get away with one of the Horford, Morris or Tatum trio anchoring a bench unit surrounded by Larkin/Nader/Ojeleye/Monroe. There just isn't enough shot creation within that group to get by, particularly when you factor in the giveback on the defensive end with Monroe's limitations. You can't have it both ways with the 6-foot-11 center (they are going to vulnerable on D with him out there), so Stevens is better served surrounding Monroe with good spacing options to maximize his ability in the post. Otherwise, teams are going to surround him more and force turnovers (as was the case on Sunday night when he coughed up four turnovers vs. Pelicans). Rozier, Morris, Tatum and Horford all provide more spacing than anyone on the second unit. Two of those guys should be on the floor as much as possible over the course of the game to help give the C's offense a fighting chance.

Final Thoughts

These solutions won't need to last too long. The eventual return of Brown and Irving to the rotation should send Nader back to the bench for most nights and give Stevens more balanced lineups while sending Morris back to the bench. Still, with the Celtics expected to exercise strong caution in bringing back both injured guards, this shorthanded lineup should be around for a few more games. Stevens has to find a way to stay afloat without them or he could risk bringing the No. 2 seed back in play for other teams.