The Celtics bench has been a weakness for Brad Stevens for the past two years when it comes to the attack. Whether it’s due to a top-heavy squad with the initial five or a short rein for some of Boston’s young talents with the most offensive advantage, Boston’s second unit routinely rounded out the last five teams in the league when it comes to production.
In the midst of Boston’s free fall in qualifying last month, this problem became a glaring problem, as some of the holders’ fights exposed a consistent lack of firepower off the bench (30.1 ppg of the bench ranked 27th in the NBA in February). Surprising big contributions at the start of the season for names like Payton Pritchard and Robert Williams began to fade when the two promising young men began to submit to the Boston stars a little too much in offensive games. This, combined with a drop in game by Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum in the past few weeks, quickly made the attack appear to be defeated by large blocks of games.
With Brown and Tatum fighting on Friday night against the Pacers, the Celtics were in danger of losing their fourth consecutive game if no one from the supporting cast came forward for the challenge other than Kemba Walker (32 points). Instead, a second aggressive Boston unit, captained by Pritchard and Williams, looked more like the group that was instrumental in taking Boston to an 8-3 start to the year, adding 39 points to their 118-112 victory.
Williams played one minute before his 22-minute win record of the season and filled the box score (14 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks), while gaining a few minutes of decisive time in the process.
“Obviously, it’s a huge advantage for me, to know that they trust me and believe in me,” said Williams. “Above all, they are letting me know that they need me in these situations. This increases my confidence even more. “
The center of the third year has suffered a lot with the growth, mainly in the defensive end, many nights in the last weeks. However, the Boston formula for success this year comes with Williams’ offense and reservations most nights. The more defensive Celtics are simply not good enough to slow the teams down this year (Grant Williams, Javonte Green, etc.), so Brad Stevens is worth a look at the attack first. Williams is a big part of that strategy, succeeding as he expands his game.
“I feel like I have been very, very comfortable and I feel that I have come with the learning of my teammates,” said Williams of his attack. “Learning if Kemba is driving under the basket, how to turn around and give him an outlet, knowing when they need help or knowing when I can take these pictures, then everything has a role.”
In addition to riding more at Williams, Brad Stevens helped unlock the best version of Payton Pritchard on Friday night (9 points, 4 rebounds, team high +13 in 30 minutes), pairing him with his beginning of the season at Jeff Teague. The duo has a top-three ranking in the team (+11.5) between squads over 100 minutes together, largely based on the powerful attack they create together.
With Pritchard struggling (39 percent of pitches in February), having another breeder at his side with Jayson Tatum helped the rookie return to providing a burst of energy for the bank with timely back cuts, attacks and offensive rebounds.
“I am very happy with him,” said Teague. “And, you know, he was down and stuff a little bit because he said he lost a few three recently, but you know, he’s a great shot. And he comes to work every day and I’m happy for them, to be honest. “
The Teague / Pritchard combination doesn’t seem to be going anywhere in the next three games before the Boston defense court gets reinforcements. The connection the pair built in the preseason was still intact, even after Teague fell out of rotation for some time.
“I think we all know that he is a talented player, he is a good player,” said Teague of Pritchard. “And I think we play well with each other. I think we had a connection at the beginning of the season, being in the second team in training. He’s my guy, man. We talked all the time. He will come and speak to me whether I am playing or not. We continue to keep our relationship close and I think that throws it on the floor. “
While Stevens tries to steady the ship for the Celtics 16-17 that is heading for the All-Star Break, he will simply have to roll with the guys who provide high level skills and a track record of success. Williams and Pritchard have done this consistently more than anyone else off the bench this year and the aggression they showed in the
“It’s very important,” admitted Stevens of the bank’s momentum. “Teague and Payton played very well in that second game we won in Indiana, and led that recovery towards the end of the third game. Teague was probably our most encouraging performance on Wednesday, he didn’t play as much and he played very well offensively. I thought he was great tonight. Payton was very good, very engaged, and Robert certainly gave us what he is capable of. We don’t need that score every night, but we do need the way they played every night. “
Ultimately, more reinforcements will come with healthy bodies and trades in the next month. Until that happens, Pritchard and Williams getting an extended run is probably Stevens’ best chance of holding the fort for this second drive night after night.