Scouting report: What Enes Kanter can do for the Celtics

The Celtics made the best of their limited free agent options on Monday afternoon, agreeing to terms on a two-year deal with 27-year-old Enes Kanter. The 6-foot-11 center reportedly picked the Celtics after the Blazers gave him just minutes to give them a commitment on Monday before pulling the trigger on a Hassan Whiteside trade with the Heat instead. There is no question that Kanter will get plenty of opportunity in an undermanned Celtics frontcourt, but what exactly will he bring to the table to Boston? Let’s take a look at what we can expect from the eight-year veteran.

STRENGTHS

Rebounding: The Celtics have not had a rebounder like this during the Brad Stevens era. Kanter has been a walking double-double for most of his career, using his length and strength to get great position in the paint. He’s averaged 12.3 rebounds per 36 minutes over the past seven seasons, which is far and away the highest number on the Celtics' roster. Given the lack of strong rebounders on the team following the departures of Al Horford and Aron Baynes, Kanter will give the C’s a much-needed boost in the paint. Kanter is good on the defensive glass but he’s elite when comes to offensive boards. He’s led the league twice in offensive rebounding rate, always finding himself with a nose for the ball on his teammates' misses. There will be a fine line between him crashing the glass and getting back sufficiently in transition D but the Celtics should get plenty of easy second-chance points when he’s cut loose on this front.



Finishing ability: He’s no Horford around the rim but Kanter is a definite upgrade over Baynes in this department. He knocks down 65 percent of his shot attempts inside of 3 feet and is also a respectable shooter (over 40 percent) from 3-10 feet and 10-16 feet. The big man has got a nice touch and good hands for a true big man and that makes him an ideal partner for Kemba Walker in the pick-and-roll as a rim runner. The former Blazer also works hard as a finisher in transition, so he will be seeking open plenty of easy chances when the Celtics spread the floor with shooters around him.



Size: The Eastern Conference is bigger than ever in the frontcourt with the Lopez brothers and Giannis in Milwaukee, Al Horford and Joel Embiid in Philly and Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka still in Toronto. The Celtics' frontline was full of skinny (Robert Williams, Daniel Theis) and undersized (Grant Williams) big men before the Kanter signing, leaving this group incredibly vulnerable against true bulk. Kanter is strong for his size and knows how to battle in the trenches. He’s far from the defender that Baynes and Horford were in the post here but his presence will at least give the C’s a fighting chance against true bigs in the paint.

Free throw shooting: Another guy who can get to the line for Boston after a big draft on this front. His 4.4 free throw attempts per 36 minutes would have led the Celtics last year. He’s also an elite shooter from the free throw line (78 percent) for a big man so he makes the most of those opportunities at the charity stripe.

WEAKNESSES

Defensive awareness/guarding the perimeter: This has been the biggest knock on Kanter throughout his career. Thunder coach Billy Donovan was famously caught on camera saying that he couldn’t keep Kanter on the floor due to his defensive liabilities two years ago in a postseason matchup. His issues are a mix of being slow footed and a lack of defensive awareness. He works hard but opposing teams attack him constantly in the pick-and-roll, which leads to plenty of open looks when Kanter backs off faster players to protect against the drive. His inability to rotate consistently and provide good help defense also leaves his teammates vulnerable to blowbys when he’s on the floor. His effort is generally there, especially against traditional bigs but he’s a big liability against stretch fives on the perimeter. Lots of planning and tweaking will need to be done by Stevens and his staff to help cover up Kanter’s flaws.



Shooting range: This may just be a temporary weakness depending on how much encouragement the C’s give Kanter to fire away from 3-point range. He’s only taken 2 percent of his shot attempts from downtown in his career and has hit just 29.4 percent of those. The good news? He’s a good midrange shooter and free throw shooter so there is a chance that Kanter can break out from beyond the arc like Baynes did a year ago with some added volume and freedom. He’s never averaged more than a 3-point attempt per game in his career so I expect that number to go up. League sources tell me that he’s been working on his shot from beyond the arc.

Rim protection: He’s managed just 0.7 blocks per 36 minutes in his career, which would slot him behind all the Celtics' centers and Jayson Tatum last year in that department. He doesn’t have much athleticism or a great vertical, which leaves him at a disadvantage when it comes to patrolling the paint. He won’t be able to cover up for mistakes on the perimeter like Robert Williams has shown, so the C’s wings will need to play smart and avoid getting burned to help protect Kanter.



What’s his role?

He’s the heavy favorite to start on this roster but the interesting question for Stevens is whether Kanter will earn enough trust to close some games. Rebounding will be an issue for Boston without a true big on the floor but Kanter's defensive weaknesses will be tough to cover up during crunch time. Whether or not Kanter is bringing enough on the offensive end and the glass to outweigh his defensive liabilities will tell the story with late-game lineups. The bet here is he spends the majority of those minutes on the bench, especially when matched up against stretch bigs.