National Basketball Association

Boston Celtics Second Unit: Aggressive and Inefficient

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Boston Celtics second unit was both aggressive and inefficient against the 76ers

The Boston Celtics had a disappointing result to their first preseason tilt against the Philadelphia 76ers. Fortunately, that is irrelevant in the preseason, and there is plenty to take away from their performance. The starting unit did their job. They established a lead and looked comfortable in the game. It was when the second unit came in and took over the game that the 76ers were able to get a hold of the win.

That being said, there is good and bad to take away with regards to the second unit. The fact that they lost should not be the main concern. What they need to make progress on is exactly what most should have expected, shooting. The Celtics need people to step on on offense with the second unit in order to make up for the loss of Evan Turner, their most important offensive instigator.

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The three people that are in the best positions to be ball handlers on the second unit are Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier, and none of them were able to shoot over 50 percent, with an overall combined night of 14/31 from the field. That is not disastrous, in fact it could even be seen better than expected given how these three are expected to struggle shooting the ball. The problem is that none of them were able to stand out and take over with their scoring.

The three of them had at least two more shot attempts than anyone else on the second unit, and they accounted for nine of their 12 second unit assists. The Celtics want these players to be the instigators on offense, and it is a great sign that they are already embracing that role.

The three of them will never lack the confidence and they will never lack the aggressiveness, they just need to prove that they can have a strong impact on the offensive end. Of course, it doesn’t help that the rest of the second unit shot 7/23, and that was with James Young hitting all three of his shot attempts.

Young is showing signs of potential to score in bunches. Young may not have a large role this season, but Stevens would love to have that momentary offensive boost for a second unit that could struggle to score a lot this season.

Oct 4, 2016; Amherst, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard James Young (13) shoots the ball over Philadelphia 76ers guard Hollis Thompson (31) during the second half at William D. Mullins Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

After just one preseason game there is no reason to jump to any conclusions about these young players. But Stevens is showing signs of that the second unit could look like this year. In addition to accounting for the majority of the offensive on the second unit, Brown, Smart and Rozier had the three most minutes played during the game.

Stevens is showing how important the preseason can be in helping these players adjust to their new roles. More so for Smart and Rozier, these players are getting more most added responsibility from a season ago, and they are expected to be key pieces to the team.

The Celtics have a much better idea of what they will get on the defensive end, but they still need to figure everything out on the offensive end. Stevens wants to get a good look at how the second unit can function with these guys at the helm, and aggressive but inefficient is something that he can live with, for now.

Getting these players established in their roles is more important than shooting results right now, and that is what happened in the preseason game. The Celtics were also without Kelly Olynyk, their best offensive threat on the second unit. Olynyk is someone that Rozier and Smart desperately need to use. He will be the best way to good offense, and he will do the most in terms of opening things up for his teammates.

Stevens needs to figure out how to optimize the offense on the second unit, and Olynyk has separated himself from anyone else on the second unit on the offensive end. He may not be a ball handler, but Stevens loves what he can do with a stretch five, and that could make a huge difference for the entire second unit.

Hopefully the shooting will come, but even if it does, that means very little in the preseason. The Celtics cannot make much progress with their shooting in just the preseason, but they can continue to make progress in defining their roles.

The Celtics get this one day off before they return to action against the Charlotte Hornets, and expect similar minutes for Smart, Brown and Rozier. They should continue to be the main focus of the preseason, with a lot of importance also on the final roster spots, which Young appears to be in the best position for right now.

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