The Boston Celtics slog of a 2021 season came to a merciful end earlier this week when the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Celtics in a five game first round series. For a team that just made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, this result is certainly not what the team was looking for this season.
Despite that, not all was bad this season. We witnessed a group of young Celtics excel in their roles this season, and helped drag an underperforming Celtics team into the playoffs. In a season full of losses and failed expectations, let’s look on the bright side here, and check out three Celtics players that exceeded expectations this season
No. 3: Boston Celtics rookie point guard Payton Pritchard
When the Celtics drafted Payton Pritchard with 26th overall pick in last year’s NBA draft, many were wondering where Pritchard would fit in among an already crowded backcourt.
Guys like Carson Edwards and Tremont Waters were only drafted a couple years ago, not to mention established vets like Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart, and Jeff Teague all would be getting a decent amount of minutes of a nightly basis.
But Pritchard stepped up and was instantly a part of the rotation for the entire season. He played in 66 games, and averaged a little over 19 minutes per game, and was typically one of the first guys off of former head coach Brad Stevens bench.
Pritchard’s potential was clear as day in just his third game of the season, as he came off the bench scoring 13 points on a perfect 5 of 5 shooting line, and nearly helped Boston pull out a victory against the Indiana Pacers.
Pritchard would drop 23 points less than a week later against the Toronto Raptors, before following that up with a game winning put-back against the Miami Heat, instantly making him a quick fan favorite in Boston.
Payton Pritchard hits a game-winning bucket to beat the Heat. pic.twitter.com/N7TFL4KN31
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) January 7, 2021
Pritchard’s play was so good that he quickly took the minutes that were expected to go to Teague, which eventually led to him getting traded to the Orlando Magic at the trade deadline. Teague’s lack of production certainly helped, but Pritchard helped make the decision easier for the Celtics front office to move on from Teague.
Pritchard was easily the most reliable shot maker off the bench for a Boston bench that had virtually no scoring depth, and his contributions easily helped Boston pull out a couple victories this season. He shot 44 percent from the field, including 41 percent from behind the arc, and basically developed into what the Celtics were expecting to get out of Teague.
Pritchard’s expectations coming into this season certainly weren’t this high, as many were left wondering if he would be able to crack the rotation with the excess of guard depth on this team. Come playoff time, Pritchard would come off the bench and look like the best ball-handler Boston had, as his change of pace would catch the Brooklyn Nets off guard. On a season where not a lot of things went right for Boston, Pritchard’s development into a steady sixth man off the bench was a welcome sight for the C’s.
No. 2: Boston Celtics big man Robert Williams
It was a telling sign that Boston’s best defensive performance in their first round exit against the Nets came with Robert Williams anchoring down the paint.
Williams battled injuries for much of the season, but when he was on the court, he showed the potential to become a dynamic center for Boston on both ends of the court.
Williams started the season as the third big man in the Celtics rotation behind Daniel Theis and Tristan Thompson, and showed pretty quickly that he deserved starting minutes. Williams was scoring pretty much at will in the paint, as his threat as a roller in pick and roll situations was much higher than that of Theis or Thompson.
Defensively, Williams was easily Boston’s best rebounder when he was on the floor, and his shot blocking abilities would make opposing teams think twice before driving to the hoop against him.
It was clear Williams belonged in the starting lineup, and when Daniel Theis was traded away at the trade deadline, that opened up a spot in the starting lineup for Williams, which he grabbed and ran with.
Williams only scored seven points in his first start of the season, but he secured nine rebounds, dished out six assists, blocked five shots, and came away with two steals to help the Celtics steal a victory away from the high powered Milwaukee Bucks.
This game alone showed Williams potential to impact every aspect of the game for Boston when healthy. He’s progressed on both sides of the court, as he no longer is as easy to beat defensively, and his passing offensively helps keep the offense in flow when defense focus on his rolls to the rim.
Unfortunately, Williams picked up a number of different injuries towards the end of the season that derailed his progress, including a tough turf toe injury that hampered him even when he was on the floor.
Even while dealing with that, Williams managed to block nine shots in Game 1 against the Nets, and helped prevent Brooklyn from getting any easy baskets in the paint.
Injuries aside, Williams took a major leap this past season from Boston. He basically went from being one of the last guys in the rotation to a starting center in one season, and his per game averages all soared through the roof as a result. It only feels like Williams has just cracked the surface of his potential because of all the injuries he has dealt with during his first three seasons, but if he can stay healthy next season, the Celtics could find themselves back a top the Eastern Conference.
No. 1: Boston Celtics All-Stars Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown
Ok, admittedly I cheated here, but you can’t discuss the Celtics successes of the 2021 season without mentioning their two stars. Without Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who knows where the Celtics would be this season. They both took massive leaps in expanded roles this season, and showed that even though this season didn’t go as planned, the future of this team is in good hands.
Let’s start with Brown, who’s season was unfortunately cut short by a wrist injury that required surgery.
With Gordon Hayward officially out of the picture, Brown was given more touches on the offensive end, and showed he is one of the best two-way players in the league. Even despite taking four more shots per game, Brown’s efficiency increased this season, and just about every per game category was a new career high for the young forward.
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The thing that has aided Brown’s development is his ability to shoot the three ball at a high clip. Brown wasn’t a very good three point shooter coming out of college, but he’s continued to make strides from behind the arc, and his ability to hit shots off the dribble rather than almost strictly off catch and shoot situations was hard to miss this season.
Brown shot just under 40 percent from three point land this season, and it probably would have been higher had his shot not been affected by his wrist injury over the final couple of games he played.
Some of Brown’s best games this season came when Tatum was forced out of the lineup. Arguably Brown’s most impressive performance on the season came in a loss against the Philadelphia 76ers, where he dropped 42 points against the top team in the East despite not having Tatum on the court alongside him. Had Brown been available for the playoffs, it’s worth wondering if Boston could have actually given the Nets a run for their money in the first round.
As for the guy who was available for the playoffs, Tatum proved just how good of a player he is, especially on the offensive end of the court.
Tatum averaged 30.6 points per game in the series against Brooklyn, despite missing the second half of Game 2 after getting poked in the eye by Kevin Durant. When you consider how much attention the Nets gave Tatum, especially after his 50 point outburst in Game 3, it becomes even more impressive.
This was basically Tatum’s season from the get go, with a game winning bank shot three against the Milwaukee Bucks in the season opener basically setting the stage for his magnificent season. Including the playoffs, Tatum had six games this season where he eclipsed 40 points on the night, including three where he went over 50. Tatum’s consistency was come and go at times this season, but towards the end of the season, it finally seemed like he had figured everything out.
Tatum’s second half tear began with a 53 point game in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, and a week later he would out-duel Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors with a 44 point game to give Boston a huge win.
The pinnacle was a 60 point outburst in an overtime victory against the San Antonio Spurs, where Tatum single handedly willed the Celtics back into a game they were once trailing by 32 points. And then came the back-to-back games against the Nets in the playoffs where Tatum went for 50 and 40 in two consecutive games.
The things we saw from both of these guys this season gave Celtics fans hope that this team is in good hands moving forward. Tatum and Brown developed into two of the best players in the game this season. Now it’s time to get them some help so that they can bring Banner 18 to the rafters of TD Garden.