Skip to main content

So how's the Daniel Theis-as-replacement for Al Horford working?

Image
By
The Boston Celtics' major issue this season was supposedly finding a capable replacement for the departed Al Horford. Al did a bit of everything on the floor for Boston, and quite a bit off of it. Well, now it looks like Horford's replacement was on board all along - and his name is Daniel Theis.


This is not what Al and the Sixers were expecting when Horford signed the 4-year, $109 million deal in the off-season. Al has lost his starting gig with the 76'ers, who now sit in fifth place in the East with a 35-21 record. The following is the headline from an article from the New York Post's Zach Braziller.

The 76ers have a $109 million Al Horford problem


Theis registered an impressive 25-point, 16-rebound double-double in the Celtics win last night over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Daniel has done admirably as Boston's man-in-the-middle, and for comparison I have adjusted Theis' stats to per-30.5-minutes status, the average minutes of Al Horford this season with Philadelphia.

Horford: 11.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 3.8 APG, 44% FG, 32% 3P, 73% FT

Theis: 11.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.1 APG, 55% FG, 31% 3P, 74% FT


Looks like a pretty even swap, doesn't it. The NBA Advanced Statistics show a similar picture. Daniel leads Al in Offensive Rating, Defensive Rating and Net Rating. And while Horford's extended $109 million deal seems to be a dilemma for Philly, the price for Theis is damn nice. Daniel is a bargain at $5 million this season, and the same amount for next season, which at least for now, is not guaranteed.

Daniel Theis may never achieve the 5-time All-Star status of Al Horford, but he seems to be the nearly-ideal center/power forward for a Celtics team that has such a potent scoring punch in the guise of Kemba Walker, Gordon Hayward and the Jay Team. Kudos to Danny Ainge for rolling the dice on Theis.

Follow Tom at @CelticsSentinel, @CausewayStreet and Facebook

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sign the Petition! Let's honor Tommy Heinsohn

By
  No longtime Celtics fan can watch games this year without a somewhat heavy heart. For the last 50 plus years, we have been blessed as a franchise to have Tommy Heinsohn, Mr. Celtic himself, as a part of the organization. Whether it be as a player, coach, or commentator, Tommy has been an instrumental figure for the green, and his presence is missed on every broadcast. Nobody embodied what it meant to be a Celtic more than Tommy, and I know I miss his energy and ferocity every time Scal claims the refs "made the right call" against the Cs. While Tommy obviously belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Celtics, he is often overlooked in his place among the greats of NBA history. Looking back upon his life, one would be hard pressed to find someone with a bigger impact on NBA basketball than Mr. Celtic. For those who are unfamiliar, let's do a quick review. Tommy is one of 2 people to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as both a player and coach (the other being the indomitable Len
1 comment
Read more

We may be glad Danny Ainge rolled the dice on Theis

By
Frankly, I was not sure if Danny Ainge would ink Daniel Theis to a new deal, but it looks like a good move. Theis is signed for two years at a total of $10 million, with the second year non-guaranteed. With the departure of big men Al Horford and Aron Baynes, rolling the dice on Theis could work very well. In his first season in Boston, Daniel just kept improving. For the pre-All-Star stretch, he averaged 14.5 minutes/Game, 5.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG while shooting 52% on field goals and 30% on treys. Post-All-Star his minutes increased to 18.4 per game, his points to 7.8/game and his boards to 5.3/game. And he shot 68% on field goals and 40% on 3-pointers. Then a meniscus tear shut him down. His minutes and production took a hit last season, in part most likely due to lagging recovery from the injury. Right now he is playing on German's entry in the FIBA World Cup. In a game versus The Czech Rebublic, he scored 17 points, grabbed six rebounds, passed off for three assists and blocked tw
5 comments
Read more

What Jeff Teague can bring to the Celtics offense

By
Bringing in Jeff Teague as some guard depth this year could end up being a monumental move for this year's Celtics team. Teague is a well respected veteran in the league, and having gone to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2015 with the Atlanta Hawks, knows what it takes to win tough games. Here's a brief look at why I think Jeff will be a great fit with the C's Every Celtics fan loves Marcus Smart , due to everything he brings to the table, from the defensive intensity to scoring outbursts. For all the good things he does, Marcus excels off ball, and can have his effectiveness diminished when he is forced to be a primary ball handler. He is often pigeon-holed into that role with the second unit (or when Kemba is out), and Teague's addition will hopefully allow him to play more off-ball and maximize his abilities.  At the deadline last year, Teague was traded to the Atlanta Hawks to play alongside Trae Young. His usage rate and effectiveness dipped considerably, as he
Post a Comment
Read more