Daniel Theis entices Brad Stevens in Boston Celtics preseason debut

bobheckler wrote:http://celticswire.com/2017/10/03/daniel-theis-entices-brad-stevens-in-boston-celtics-preseason-debut/







Daniel Theis entices Brad Stevens in Boston Celtics preseason debut



By: Jared Weiss | 10 hours ago




Daniel Theis can pop and dive. It’s what the German big man has done for a living for years in the Bundesliga and Eurobasket. But now he’s on a bigger stage, with more speed, power, athleticism and skill. His first dress rehearsal looked like a midseason show, as he continued to play his game against a serious step up in competition. Theis finished with 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting to go with seven boards in just 14 second half minutes.

“It’s a little bit faster here,” the 25-year-old rookie said after his preseason debut. “I’m shooting the ball sometimes on the first pass and I thought, ‘I’m not used to this, it’s so quick.’ In Europe it’s more like, play the system and when the shot clock is running down, just try to play a little bit faster. But I’ll get used to it.”

There was a ton of adjustment for Boston in their 94-82 win over the Charlotte Hornets, so Theis was not alone in his struggle to keep up. But he stuck to his core competencies of picking and popping or diving, while going straight up contesting layups. Theis was asked if he felt he had an advantage over his rookie teammates in being experienced in European play, with the Gasol brothers being some of his most recent opponents at Eurobasket 2017.

“I don’t know,” Theis said. “I’ve been playing professionally for eight or nine years. So it was something new… it’s so new. I just try to enjoy it, just play like it’s the same game that I’ve been playing for the past few years.”




Head coach Brad Stevens seemed much more impressed, getting to see the composite player they expected in Theis actually produce results against NBA teams. He picked, popped and stopped the ball on defense. He even had to improvise on one play and managed to drive from the left elbow to finish the three-point play at the rim.

“I thought he did really good,” Stevens said. “He was quick to the rim, and we needed that. Got behind on rolls, got his hands on a couple of balls and kept them alive, had the tip dunk at the end of the quarter of off the roll, and that’s what he does best. He can shoot the ball, he can play in space, but he’s very quick to the rim.”


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But Stevens recognized how much of a journey this has been for Theis. While there isn’t a language barrier for the apparently fluent English speaker, there is a discernable difference in the daily operations of being on an NBA team.

“For him, as much as anybody, it’s been an adjustment over the last week, just because even our other younger guys almost all of them played summer league at one time or another, so at least they’ve been [in] it for a little bit,” Stevens said. “But for him, I think it’s been a really big adjustment, and I think he did a really good job tonight.”

Theis is trying to keep it simple. His game only has a few functional components to it at this point, so it’s all about hitting his mark and running to the next spot.

“I think I just tried to read the plays and bring some energy when I come out on the court,” Theis said. “Just try to not be nervous and just enjoy and have fun and that’s what I did.”

While Guerschon Yabusele brought energy and athleticism, Theis brought composure and consistency. He read defensive space fairly well and showed he can keep up with the speed of the game. He reared ahead in the race for a rotation spot as the deep reserve big after one game and there’s plenty of time left for Theis to let his game grow.






bob
MY NOTE:  As of right now I'd say our depth chart at big is:  Horford, Baynes, Theis, Yabusele.  Theis looks MUCH more comfortable, MUCH more experienced than Yabby.  Yabby worked, he tried hard, but he was a little lost out there.  Ok, no big deal, it's his first game after a year in a league where defense is a topic of discussion and not a commitment but Theis "gets it".  PnR, as we all know, isn't just about getting in someone's way and then going to the rim.  It's about how long do you hold the pick, do you roll or pop and, perhaps at its crux, how do you create space so you're open for the pass?  Theis clearly has a feel for that.  He got dunk after dunk after dunk (he missed two or he would have been 7-8 instead of 5-eight) because he did all those things right.  Baynes did that well also, and Baynes hit his "pop" shots while Theis missed his only one, but Baynes is almost 31 years old, is starting his 5th NBA season (3 with San Antonio) and won a championship with Pop.  Just one game, pre-season at that, but so far I am liking Herr Theis a lot.  Just, please, no more "Theis entices" anymore, ok?  I'm just trying to head off another "Young and Smart" shtick.  Remember that one?



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