New Year’s resolutions for the Boston Celtics (Part 1)

December is coming to shut, and with it ends a busy yr of Boston Celtics basketball. From a shocking midseason turnaround to NBA Finals heartbreak to a red-hot begin of a revenge tour, 2022 introduced a bit of little bit of every part to the Celtics and their followers. The tip of the yr at all times brings a while for self-reflection, and as the remainder of us common Joes plan to eat higher or hit the health club, let’s see if we are able to set some objectives for every member of the workforce as we flip the web page into 2023.

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JD Davison: Develop an NBA-caliber jumper

Davison is, nearly by default, the perfect prospect on the Celtics’ roster at this time second. A 6-foot-3 hyper athlete on the level guard place with a penchant for audacious dunks and a few high quality playmaking chops, he’s a simple sort of participant to dream into an future NBA contributor.

There’s work to be executed earlier than Davison is able to assist an NBA roster, although. Specifically, he must develop his bounce shot. As we’ve seen time and time once more, it’s troublesome for guards to search out success with no moderately dependable jumper, and capturing stays the most important gap in Davison’s sport. After connecting on simply 30% of his three-pointers throughout his lone collegiate season, he’s at the moment capturing roughly the identical mark from NBA distance within the G-League.

Davison is a methods away from contributing to the Celtics or some other group. Fortunately, he has a beneficial alternative to develop his expertise with common reps in Maine. Fleshing out a workable jumper needs to be on the prime of the checklist.

Mfiondu Kabengele, Justin Jackson: Keep prepared

It is probably not probably the most thrilling of duties, however for gamers like Kabengele and Jackson, probably the most beneficial attribute to deliver to this Celtics roster is readiness. At current, Kabengele occupies one of many workforce’s Two-Approach contracts, and has appeared in only one NBA sport whereas spending most of his season beginning for the G League Celtics. Jackson, in the meantime, sits on the finish of the massive league workforce’s bench, having been restricted to 14 transient rubbish time appearances up to now. When absolutely — and even simply largely — wholesome, the Celtics don’t have room to play both.

One factor each have of their favor: they’re a bit of extra seasoned than your common end-of-bench NBA participant. Of their offseason acquisitions, Brad Stevens and the entrance workplace prioritized journeyman gamers of their athletic prime with some expertise on the NBA degree. At 27 years outdated, with 269 NBA appearances (61 begins) below his belt, Jackson matches that invoice. Two years youthful, Kabengele hasn’t performed fairly as a lot (52 complete appearances, zero begins), however he’s spent 4 years round NBA techniques and has had vital taking part in time within the G League throughout the previous two years. In different phrases, they’re each barely extra recognized portions, which generally is a profit when it comes to depth.

If both finally ends up pressed right into a extra sizeable position, the Celtics will very doubtless have greater issues to fret about. However each are cheap bets as end-of-bench contingency plans, and the perfect factor both can do proper now’s be ready in case their second arises.

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Noah Vonleh: Carry one other ability to the desk

After a little bit of offseason buzz as one among Stevens’ reclamation venture acquisitions, Vonleh has shortly discovered himself out of the combo within the Boston rotation. He’s largely been resigned to the again of the bench for the reason that begin of the common season, with Blake Griffin and Luke Kornet taking over most of the reserve frontcourt minutes after the core items (particularly previous to Robert Williams III’s return).

The distinction between Vonleh and people bigs? Versatility. Although neither are what you’d name optimum, 30-minutes-per-night sort of gamers, they’ve carved out helpful niches which have earned them minutes on the court docket. Griffin is a artful veteran who gives a comfortable match on offense, flattening some threes, shifting the basketball and offering a little bit of measurement and toughness. Kornet, in the meantime, is a big, with some rim safety worth and his signature unorthodox shot contests that assist him contribute on the defensive finish of the court docket.

Vonleh wants to search out his area of interest. He’s a giant physique and a troublesome rebounder, however such gamers are a dime a dozen, and he hasn’t distinguished himself sufficient past that to justify a lot taking part in time. Including one other ability to the toolbox may go a great distance in direction of getting him again on the court docket. One risk: piecing collectively a serviceable three-point shot, which he’s flashed at instances (on admittedly low quantity) since his one-and-done season at Indiana.

Payton Pritchard: Amp up the scoring

This can be simpler mentioned than executed for the Celtics’ third-year guard. You may solely anticipate a lot development from a participant with such an inconsistent position on his workforce. With the trio of Marcus Good, Malcolm Brogdon and Derrick White wholesome, there simply isn’t room for Pritchard to see the court docket with any regularity. Discovering a rhythm in such a circumstance is understandably difficult.

That mentioned, whether or not as a consequence of lack of alternative or in any other case, it’s truthful to say we haven’t seen Pritchard at his finest fairly often this season. He’s capturing career-lows from throughout the ground, together with a 33% mark from behind the arc that lags far behind 40%+ charges in every of his first two years. Aside from a four-game stretch in mid-November by which he averaged 10 factors per sport on 57% capturing from the sector, he hasn’t actually moved the needle as an offensive presence this yr — which he must do, as an undersized guard with an inherent cap on his defensive impression.

Pritchard has had an atypical expertise relative to most first-round picks within the NBA. He excelled out of the gate as a rookie, however has seen his taking part in time dwindle an increasing number of over his younger NBA profession because the workforce’s burgeoning depth and more and more pressing championship hopes have squeezed him out of a rotation spot. It’s potential — if not going — that the perfect basketball of his profession received’t include the Celtics. For the current second, although, all he can do is make the perfect of his current circumstances, and getting again to his accustomed ranges as an offensive presence will give him probabilities to contribute because the common season wears on.

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Sam Hauser: Conquer the droop

The ascension to the standing of full-time rotation participant has inevitably introduced Sam Hauser to one of many realities of taking part in usually within the NBA: going via — and breaking out of — a droop.

December was a troublesome month for the 25-year-old. Throughout 14 appearances, he shot simply 33% from the sector, together with a 28% mark from the behind the three-point arc — his major base of operations on this roster. Hauser has usually acquitted himself properly on the defensive finish, even within the face of heightened consideration from opposing offenses who’ve sought to focus on him because the de facto weak spot within the Boston protection.

However these threes are essential. Three-point capturing is his pre-eminent NBA ability, and whereas he’s not ineffective in different points of the sport, it’s his potential to interrupt defenses from lengthy vary that places him on the court docket. The Celtics want him flattening these threes to maximise his usefulness on the court docket; this 28% capturing model of him is kind of a bit more durable to justify.

Hauser has an extended observe document of success as a sharpshooter. He’s succeeded as a three-point shooter at each degree, together with a four-year profession as a starter in school that noticed him join on 44% of his threes on vital quantity. It’s a testomony to his ability that, even after a full month of poor outcomes as a shooter, he’s nonetheless connecting on 40% of his threes for the yr.

There’s no motive to assume his poor December was something greater than a chilly spell. It’s as much as Hauser to search out the reset button and begin off 2023 on a greater be aware than he completed its predecessor.

Blake Griffin: Preserve these outdated bones recent

Probably the most nice surprises of the primary half of the season has been the play of Griffin, who signed late within the offseason to assist fill the void left by Robert Williams III’s restoration from knee surgical procedure. A real disciple of Brad Stevens, interim coach Joe Mazzulla has deployed Griffin on a part-time foundation in cases the place he’d wish to protect the workforce’s rotations. Al Horford wants an evening off on the second evening of a back-to-back? Merely plug in Griffin, who has began eight video games this season, with the Celtics profitable six of them.

Griffin’s project for 2023 could also be so simple as “preserve doing what you’re doing.” He’s carved out a fantastic area of interest for himself as a part-time rotation participant, stepping up and filling holes within the lineup with out overexerting himself within the course of. He’s capturing 50% from the sector, together with 63% on the rim (with three dunks!). Age and a prolonged harm historical past have insured that Griffin’s days as an NBA star are lengthy over, however this new, reinvented model has proven he can contribute to profitable basketball.

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Luke Kornet: Can the three-point shot be rediscovered?

Like Griffin, Kornet has executed a pleasant little job filling in as a reserve large for this workforce. Mazzulla and the Celtics have coaxed the perfect season of his profession from contained in the arc, as he’s capturing practically 70% on his two-point makes an attempt this yr (on miniscule pattern measurement, after all), and he’s had a decent sufficient impression as a defender.

I’ve at all times been (maybe unduly) intrigued by Kornet’s potential as a shooter, although. It’s been years since we’ve seen it deployed with any regularity or effectiveness, however he spent his first two NBA seasons as a roughly common three-point shooter on strong quantity for a few ill-fated New York Knicks groups. Maybe the jumper has been gone for a bit of too lengthy to be a sensible hope, however it looks like a Daniel Theis degree of “in a position to knock it down when left open” may very well be attainable for the jumbo-sized large.

That can do it for Half One in every of our Celtics New Yr’s resolutions; we’ll be again in 2023 to speak in regards to the core rotation of the workforce. Within the meantime, what do you assume the Celtics’ reserves needs to be engaged on within the second half of the season? Tell us your ideas within the feedback beneath.