The Celtics’ center spot was always going to be the biggest question mark for this team heading into the year, but the grouping has held its own 20 percent into the season. With four players holding varying skillsets manning the middle on most nights, Brad Stevens has done admirably mixing and matching with the hot hand or right matchup over the first 17 games of the year, helping the C’s jump out to a 13-4 record.
The center position hasn’t won the C’s a lot of games early, but it has also not been the reason for defeats. Daniel Theis has held his own on most nights when healthy ,while Rob Williams, Enes Kanter, and Grant Williams have all had their moments on both ends of the floor (Vincent Poirier (DNP-CD) remains No. 5 on the center depth chart). Consistency remains an obstacle within that grouping, however, as there are certain nights where no one within that group is capable of giving Stevens what he needs on both ends of the floor. That proved to be a lethal flaw in Friday’s 112-107 loss to the Nets, as Jarrett Allen and DeAndre Jordan combined for 22 points and 22 rebounds with all 11 of their made field goals coming at the rim.
There were a lot of reasons for the C’s defeat in the Black Friday matinee. A sloppy start by the starters including Jayson Tatum (six turnovers) led to a season-high 19 turnovers. Subpar shooting from Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart also loomed large. Yet, the C’s inability to adequately prevent easy looks by the Nets centers and also punish their limitations on the defensive end simultaneously proved to be a crucial factor in their undoing. From a big-picture standpoint, we got an ugly look at everyone’s flaws at center in the defeat and evaluating how the team manages those in the next few months will be crucial in determining how this season will go for Boston.
Daniel Theis
We’ve seen the good version of Theis pretty much all year but he met a familiar mismatch that will be seen across the Eastern Conference playoff picture all year long: An athletic center with a big size edge over him.
Theis is mobile but a lack of length and disruptiveness in the pick-and-roll defense when he’s flat-footed is troublesome and that’s what earned him a quick hook (2 points, 3 rebounds in seven minutes) against the Nets on Friday. Brooklyn got plenty of easy dunks at the rim with Theis caught in no man's land between the ball handler and the roller.
.@DeAndre ooped all they alleys today.
Your @MaimonidesMC Play of the Game ? pic.twitter.com/FSv9CN914Q
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 29, 2019
EARLY AND OFTEN.@_bigjayy_ | #WeGoHard pic.twitter.com/jBp4uZBEUc
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 29, 2019
STRONG STOP ? @SDinwiddie_25
STRONG FINISH ? @tpinsonn pic.twitter.com/WRuYTMAGev
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 29, 2019
??? @DeAndre ??? pic.twitter.com/xvKQ96VZnp
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 29, 2019
.@taureanprince throws down to cap a 7-0 run! pic.twitter.com/2fz1Cp0jYp
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 29, 2019
??????? ????? pic.twitter.com/TOsFiTxMRs
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 29, 2019
