Roster Breakdown: The Bigs

http://www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar/091015-Roster-Breakdown-The-Bigs








Roster Breakdown: The Bigs




Posted: Sep 10, 2015


By Taylor C. Snow |  @Celtics
Celtics.com
September 10, 2015



With all the versatility on the Boston Celtics roster, it’s not easy placing positional labels on the players.

That’s not an issue for Brad Stevens, however, as he doesn’t classify his guys with the traditional 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 positional tags. Instead, the Celtics coach sings to his own tune with his own set of hybrid roles to fit the multitalented nature of his athletes.

In the book of Stevens, players generally fall into one of the four following categories:

Ball handlers – Typically played by the 1.
Wings – A hybrid between the 2 and the 3.
Swings – A hybrid between the 3 and the 4.
Bigs – A hybrid between the 4 and the 5.

Celtics.com has broken down the roster in Stevens-esque fashion to give you fans an idea of what role each player will take on this season. Keep in mind that there are currently 16 players on the roster, meaning at least one of these guys won’t be with us this season, but let’s go ahead and dish out the projected roles anyway.

We’ve made it just about all the way through our roster breakdown series, having highlighted the C’s ball handlers, wings and swings. Today we wrap things up by introducing you to Boston’s bigs. As their title indicates, these are the largest men on the court, banging bodies on either end of the floor and protecting the rim on defense. It’s also the Celtics’ deepest role, as six out of their 16 players are currently slotted at the position.



The Bigs

David Lee





David Lee may be new to Boston’s system, but the recent acquisition has by far the most impressive résumé on the roster. The 6-foot-9, 10-year veteran is the only former All-Star on the team and boasts career averages of 14.7 points per game and 9.5 rebounds per game. Lee has been a leader during both good and bad times, having drudged through mediocrity during his early years in New York, to triumphing through the playoffs, as he did last season with the NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. He joins the organization as the oldest member of the team by nearly four years and is likely in the latter years of his prime, but he still could have some solid production left in the tank. After all, he is only three seasons removed from his most recent All-Star appearance, and just two seasons ago he tallied 18.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Regardless, Lee should be able to offer admirable offense and his young teammates will likely benefit from his leadership.


Amir Johnson





The C’s added another 10-year vet to the mix this offseason when they signed 6-9 body-banger Amir Johnson to a multiyear deal in July. The 28-year-old spent his last six seasons with Boston’s Atlantic Division foe north of the border. Johnson never put up eye-opening numbers in Toronto, having averaged 9.3 PPG, 6.6 RPG and 1.1 blocks per game, but he was a fan favorite due to his gritty style of play and team-first attitude. He excels at the little things that don’t show up in the box score like setting picks on offense and fearlessly protecting the rim on defense. It shouldn’t take long for Celtics fans to notice those intangible assets and his scrappy play should earn their appreciation in a flash.



Tyler Zeller





Tyler Zeller quickly earned appreciation from Boston fans during his first season, and was undoubtedly one of the biggest surprises for the Celtics during the 2014-15 campaign. The C’s gave up virtually nothing to take him off Cleveland’s hands last summer, and he became one of the team’s strongest producers. He played in all 82 games for the Celtics, starting 59 of them, and tallied 10.2 PPG and 5.7 RPG per game during an average of just 21.1 minutes of play. He also shot 55 percent from the field, which was good for fifth in the league last season. Unlike most 7-footers, Zeller didn’t just excel by camping under the basket for the majority of his shots; he made 101 of his 224 jump shot attempts, which is why we named him Sharpshooter of the Year in our 2015 Award Series. His shooting skillset and ability to run the floor like a gazelle make him an anomaly as a big man, and is a true asset for the team.



Kelly Olynyk




Zeller may have been our Sharpshooter of the Year last season, but the big who possesses the best range on the Celtics is Kelly Olynyk. The 7-footer made 61 3-pointers last season and 63 percent of his shot attempts were jumpers. Olynyk has had an active offseason and is currently competing for Team Canada at the FIBA Americas Championship. At this time, top-seeded Canada has won seven straight in dominating fashion and KO has been one of the top contributors. The 24-year-old is now entering his third NBA season, and if his offseason production is any indicator, he appears to be prepared for a strong campaign.


Jared Sullinger




Speaking of active offseasons, Jared Sullinger has been the most visibly active Celtic this summer and has apparently cut quite a bit of weight in an attempt to improve his endurance. Sully posted solid statistics last season, averaging 13.3 PPG, 7.6 RPG and 2.5 assists per game. But when he sustained a stress fracture in his left foot midway through the season, he vowed to change his approach to the game and ameliorate his conditioning. According to the 23-year-old’s Twitter account, he is living up to that vow, as he has taken on a vigorous workout routine this summer and will enter his fourth NBA season as a slimmed-down version of his former self. Hopefully these changes will enable him to run the floor better and maintain his endurance from the first quarter through the fourth, and from the first game through the last.


Jordan Mickey





Considering all of the aforementioned seasoned bigs in the C’s rotation, it will likely be an arduous task for rookie Jordan Mickey to earn significant playing time this season. However, the 21-year-old second-round pick is loaded with potential and has the tools to be an outstanding rim protector. At 6-8, he is the shortest big on the team, but he has a deceptively long 7-2 wingspan and is considered by many to have the best shot-blocking instincts on the team. Last season at Louisiana State University, Mickey led the nation in blocked shots, swatting 3.6 shot attempts per game, a category with which the Celtics have struggled for years. Now they finally have a shot-blocking talent waiting in the wings, and in the meantime, Mickey certainly has a wide variety of bigs to learn under as he develops during his first professional season.



bob
MY NOTE:  Mickey's biggest hurdle is that, other than Zeller, he is the only big who can play only one position.


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