Grades
Again, these reflect how these veterans have fared compared to preseason expectations, not based on hoped-for growth or how they have performed vs. their rookie peers or some external standard.
Gordon Hayward: B+
Hayward deserves a lot of credit for the steps forward he’s taken, but he also deserves a little criticism for the lack of consistency, injuries aside. Conversely, he shouldn’t be dinged too much for it, as it’s impossible to tell how much his lingering discomfort from the horrific injury at the start of his Celtics tenure is impacting that inconsistency.
Kemba Walker: A-
Very little to take the UConn product to task for. Small dips in counting stats are really the only steps backward the New Yorker took, and if we’re being honest, his taking a smaller role could very well be for the greater good anyway.
Marcus Smart: A-
Smart has taken steps forward in almost every way save self-care. He’s still young enough to ignore the fact that he’s mortal (we think, anyway), but the worst thing to critique the Texan for is his drop in 2-point efficiency.
Daniel Theis: B+
If he were just a little more consistent, he’d be in “A” territory; apart from occasional disappearing acts and some dips in accuracy, he’s taken all the steps forward you could ask for.
Jaylen Brown: A+
After the unexpected leaps forward made by the Cal-Berkeley product, it’s hard to give him anything less than a perfect grade. There are things to complain about if you squint, but it’ll give you a headache if you do it long enough.
Jayson Tatum: A-
Not much to gripe about here, either. A general drop in accuracy and some poorer shot selection for stretches aside, this has been an outstanding third season for the former Blue Devil.
Enes Kanter: B-
Kanter missed games early in the season to injury, but has since put his imprint on Boston’s second unit. There’s little to criticize apart his defensive foibles — and even then, the Turkish center has been a big net positive for the team.
Semi Ojeleye: C-
Semi has yet to take long hoped-for steps forward on the offensive end of the ball. But he also continues to excel in the “D-and-D” role he’s carved out for himself, and so avoids a D (grade), ironically.
Brad Wanamaker: C+
The other Brad has stepped up when given a chance, proving to be a capable floor general and excellent defender. He still needs work on finding his shot this season, but more attention tends to come with more opportunity, and he could have taken it better.
Robert Williams III: A-
While he’s missed more than half of the team’s games, it’s hardly his fault his hip betrayed him. We’ve seen growth as a defender and a nascent passing and away-from-basket game that meet most of what we’d want from Timelord. His accuracy dip from two and the stripe are the biggest “problems” he’s had, and they are minor ones.
Taking stock at mid-season: Boston's rookie grades so far https://t.co/XFJWUjMrng
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) January 17, 2020