{"id":1358,"date":"2016-10-14T08:00:56","date_gmt":"2016-10-14T12:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/?p=1358"},"modified":"2016-10-14T11:29:19","modified_gmt":"2016-10-14T15:29:19","slug":"keys-boston-celtics-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2016\/10\/14\/keys-boston-celtics-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Key Factors to a Successful Boston Celtics Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

During the 2016-17 NBA<\/strong> season, headlines will be dominated by <\/em>Kevin Durant<\/a><\/em><\/strong> and the Golden State Warriors <\/strong>on a daily basis. However, having a super-team doesn\u2019t guarantee a championship; just look at the 2012-13 Los Angeles Lakers<\/strong>. Everything can change and anything can happen in the NBA. A team can implode, the injury bug could strike, or a team simply might not play to its potential. In this Last Word On Pro Basketball<\/strong> series, we\u2019ll break down which two key factors will determine the fate of each team in the upcoming season.<\/em><\/p>\n

In this edition, we break down the Boston Celtics<\/strong>, who are looking to contend in the Eastern Conference<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Two Key Factors to a Successful Boston Celtics Season<\/strong><\/h1>\n

First Key: Playmaking Off the Bench<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Last year, the Celtics lacked a secondary scorer behind Isaiah Thomas<\/a><\/strong>, but Al Horford<\/a><\/strong> will be a viable compliment to the All-Star point guard.<\/p>\n

However, Evan Turner<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s off-season departure for the Portland Trail Blazers<\/strong> created a void in Boston\u2019s bench. Turner averaged 28 minutes per game as a jack-of-all-trades<\/a>; he handled the ball, defended positions one through three,\u00a0and played off-ball as a scorer. He finished fifth in the 2015-16 Sixth Man of the Year<\/strong> voting.<\/p>\n

The Ohio State<\/strong> alumnus was the sole playmaker \u2014 other than Thomas \u2014 on the Celtics last season. He was the only bench player who effectively created shots for himself and for teammates. Each of the Celtics\u2019 top 20 five-man lineups in terms of minutes played and net rating featured at least one of Thomas or Turner.<\/p>\n

The Celtics must find a player who can replace Turner\u2019s production.<\/p>\n

Terry Rozier<\/a>\u2019s Readiness<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Terry Rozier<\/strong> is a candidate to fill Evan Turner\u2019s role.<\/p>\n

Rozier played limited minutes during his rookie season; he averaged just eight minutes per game in 30 games. In the playoffs, due to injuries, he saw the court more; he appeared in five of the six games and averaged 19.8 minutes per game.<\/p>\n

Rozier used his playoff experience as a building block. He played well in the summer league. In three Utah<\/strong>\u00a0summer league games, he averaged 19 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in 29 minutes per game. In three Las Vegas<\/strong> summer league games, he averaged 21 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 29 minutes per game.<\/p>\n

The Louisville<\/strong> alumnus continued his strong play in training camp and, thus far, in the preseason. Celtics coach Brad Stevens<\/strong> praised the second-year point guard for his hard work: “Terry’s a different guy in year two\u00a0than he was in the first couple of days in year one,” Stevens said. “It just stands out right now.” [MassLive<\/a><\/strong>]<\/p>\n

Danny Ainge<\/strong>, Celtics President of Basketball Operations<\/strong>,\u00a0believes that Rozier is ready to contribute:<\/p>\n

\n

.@celtics<\/a> Danny Ainge says Terry Rozier looks as though he will get a lot of the minutes vacated by Evan Turner's departure.<\/p>\n

— A. Sherrod Blakely (@ASherrodblakely) September 30, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n