Thornton's Impact is Hard to Ignore

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Thornton's impact is hard to ignore

By Chris Forsberg | February 8, 2015 2:11:12 AM PST



Here's how you know that Boston Celtics reserve guard Marcus Thornton is doing his job well at the moment: There was dismay among some Celtics observers that Thornton was not on the floor for Boston's final offensive possession during Saturday's 96-93 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.



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Marcus Thornton has played some of his best basketball of the season lately.


Thornton continued his inspired recent play on Saturday and was a primary reason Boston even had a chance to tie the Bucks in the final seconds. He finished with 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting over 20 minutes off the bench, but was merely an observer as Jae Crowder's final-possession attempt bounced off the iron, ending Boston's three-game winning streak.

There's little reason to second-guess coach Brad Stevens' decision to run with his starting five on the game's final play, when the Bucks forced Boston to settle for a low-percentage look. But it speaks volumes about Thornton's play that his absence was even noticeable.

The 27-year-old Thornton, in his sixth NBA season, seemingly has found a comfort zone in the aftermath of trades that sent away Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green. Over a 15-game span since Green was traded to Memphis and Thornton's minutes increased, the backup shooting guard is averaging 10.9 points per game -- the fourth highest mark on the team -- and shooting 41.3 percent beyond the arc over just 17.9 minutes per contest.

The Celtics were down double digits late in the third quarter Saturday when Thornton got going. He scored the final five points of the frame, then helped Boston make it a one-possession game early in the fourth quarter before checking out with 5:46 to play.

Before Saturday's tilt, Stevens acknowledged Thornton's impact, telling reporters, "One of the things that Marcus Thornton gives you is instant pop off the bench."

The league's player tracking data hammers home just how well Thornton understands his role at this stage of his career. Of the 111 3-pointers he had put up entering Saturday's game, only one had been against what the league defines as "very tight" defense (a defender within 2 feet). Thornton only fires away with space and his 3-point percentage escalates the more open teams leave him, climbing from 35.9 percent with 2-4 feet of space, to 42.6 percent at 4-6 feet and 45.8 percent with more than 6 feet to operate.

Thornton thrives in catch and shoot beyond the arc (41.3 percent), but also has been efficient off the dribble (34.5 percent). On Saturday, he also had some success inside the arc while driving hard at the basket.

Defensively, the Celtics don't expect Thornton to be a lockdown defender; his role as an offensive spark plug is pretty well defined. Even still, his advanced defensive numbers are surprisingly adequate this season. According to the league's player tracking data, opponents are shooting 43 percent against him this season, which is 0.6 percent less than those players' season average (any number in the negative is a quality effort). Opponents can exploit Thornton closer to the basket, but he's held opponents at 3.4 percent below their season average beyond 15 feet.

Synergy Sports data doesn't reflect quite as well on him, suggesting Thornton allows 0.919 points per play, which ranks him in the 29th percentile among all league players. But the eye test suggest he's doing a decent job, especially having to back up the likes of Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart.

Discussing Boston's ability to win some close games recently, Thornton noted Friday how these young Celtics have really come together in the aftermath of the team's roster overhaul.

Thornton was then asked a bit of a loaded question: Does he want to be here after the trade deadline?

Thornton, acquired in July from the Brooklyn Nets as part of a three-team trade, is earning $8.6 million this season, the second highest salary on the team. Holding an expiring contract, Thornton could be an intriguing option to contenders looking to add some scoring punch for the playoff push. His contract value makes facilitating a trade tricky -- and Boston certainly wouldn't desire to take back long-term salary -- but not impossible.

Thornton said all the right things when asked about his future.

"I would like to stay here," he said. "Who wouldn’t? We've got a good thing going. But like I said, it’s not controllable; I can’t control it, so whatever happens happens."

Traded at last February's deadline from Sacramento to Brooklyn, Thornton is no stranger to an in-season address change. But he said he won't spend too much time fretting the approaching deadline during the team's approaching (and extended) All-Star break.

"No, I’m not, I’m not thinking about that," Thornton said. "Whatever happens happens."

Thornton's play has been solid enough to catch the eye of contenders who know Boston's future-minded focus. For the season, Thornton is averaging 8.8 points while shooting a team-best 40.7 percent beyond the 3-point arc over a mere 16.2 minutes per game.

Boston is 7-8 in the 15 games since Green's departure. It's fair to say that Thornton has been one reason the team has managed to hang around in the playoff conversation in a head-shaking Eastern Conference.

And, as long as he's here, the Celtics want Thornton to just keep firing away.





bob




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Thornton is doing what he usually does in an NBA season. He shoots and scores off the bench. Not a big surprise.

His stronger performances now make him a better trade deadline candidate in 11 days.

He may be a nice guy and is fitting in well with the younger players, but he is not going to be on next year's team unless he takes a very big pay cut to do so as Ainge is not going to re-sign him for anything like 8.5 M like he makes now. He may also further block James Young if he is around again next season.

wide clyde wrote:Thornton is doing what he usually does in an NBA season.  He shoots and scores off the bench.  Not a big surprise.

His stronger performances now make him a better trade deadline candidate in 11 days.  

He may be a nice guy and is fitting in well with the younger players, but he is not going to be on next year's team unless he takes a very big pay cut to do so as Ainge is not going to re-sign him for anything like 8.5 M like he makes now.  He may also further block James Young if he is around again next season.

All true IMO, although if Young doesn't learn how to defend he's not going to be playing anyway.

Thornton probably doesn't bring much back in trade by himself, but who knows what we might put together in a package.

I respect Danny's plan for clearing the decks to use all those assets I hear about. But one very important thing tends to go unnoticed in most comments I read about the comings and goings of Celtics personnel.

It's very important, during all the discontinuities created by revolving roster, that the Celtics—or whatever is left of them at any given moment—enjoy some semblance of coalescing and moving in a positive direction, regardless of how gradually.

Just as I lobbied throughout last year for a center who could add some balance to the team (a quest answered by Danny in the form of Zeller), I look at Thornton as the one Celtic who comes closest to offering a guarantee in his chosen specialty. He arguably provides his own form of balance by spreading the floor better than any other Celtic. He has been inspirational in many of their comebacks, which are very important in helping them to hold their heads high. And he's far from a one trick pony, doing a surprisingly good job on defense and even collecting some key rebounds.

So, if he leaves, I'll wish him well but will feel badly because I will feel the Celtics have lost an important element in at least keeping the team on an even keel as they go through their development stages.

Sam