The Celtics’ Bench is a Hidden Strength

With a 47-18 record, the Boston Celtics are in prime position to repeat as champions.

One of the more interesting storylines from this season has been Payton Pritchard s Sixth Man of the Year candidacy.

Pritchard has made a significant scoring jump, averaging 14.2 points this season compared to 9.6 last year, and is in the drivers seat of the Sixth Man of the Year award.

However, the Celtics have an underrated bench outside of Pritchard.

Lets further examine Bostons bench and why its a secret strength of this team.

The Celtics Bench is a Hidden Strength Elite Top Eight Talent Pritchard is undoubtedly the engine of the Celtics bench offense.

Impressively, Pritchards 906 total bench points and 210 total bench threes led the NBA.

Additionally, he ranks seventh in made threes overall.

Pritchard gives the Celtics a spark off the bench and stabilizes Bostons offense especially when players are injured or having an off night.

Last year the Celtics didnt have such a consistent scorer and shot creator off the bench.

Pritchards makes the Celtics even more dangerous.

Al Horford is another key bench player for the Celtics.

While the veteran big man has started in 35 out of 50 games when the team is fully healthy, Horford is a crucial presence off the bench.

Horford is averaging 8.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 35.8 from three.

His spot-up shooting, rebounding, and switchable defense highlight Horfords importance.

In a recent game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Horford was put through countless actions, however, he held up well and got crucial stops to help the Celtics get a win.

Horfords all-around impact and consistency at age 38 are remarkable.

Sam Hauser is another important player for the Celtics.

The 6-foot-8 forward is shooting 40.1 percent from beyond the arc.

Hauser has shot at least 40 percent from three in every year hes played in the NBA and college.

His consistent shooting and ability to catch fire from three boosts the Celtics bench.

In a recent game against the Utah Jazz, Hauser poured in 33 points, and nine threes, highlighting his ability to give the Celtics an offensive spark.

His consistent spot-up shooting helps open up the Celtics offense giving them more upside Hauser also provides rebounding and high-IQ playmaking.

Overall, between Pritchard, Horford, and Hauser, the Celtics top eight is just about as good as it gets.

Underrated Depth Outside of these three, the Celtics have underrated depth.

Luke Kornet is a rock-solid big man who can catch lobs, set screens, grab rebounds, and protect the rime.

Kornets impact often goes overlooked, but few ninth men in the rotation can provide such quality minutes.

Neemias Queta offers a similar skill set.

Torrey Craig is a dependable veteran wing and an excellent depth piece.

Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh are quality young wings.

Although they havent gotten consistent minutes, theyve shown solid flashes, including Scheiermans recent 15-point outing against the Philadelphia 76ers.

While the Celtics deep rotation doesnt have a ton of household names they are all capable of providing quality minutes.

Do the Numbers Tell the Full Story? The Celtics bench posts the third -best plus/minus and third-best net rating .

Additionally, Pritchard, Horford, Hauser, and Kornet all have a positive net on/off difference.

These stats showcase the Celtics bench impact even if many players counting numbers dont jump off the page.

Bostons bench has been crucial throughout the regular season as they have dealt with several minor injuries.

Once the playoffs roll around, the Celtics rotation will be cut down.

Nevertheless, their top nine is truly stellar, and outside of that, they have players who can step up if needed.

The argument for the Celtics bench is a weakness is mainly based on raw bench numbers.

Boston ranks 24th in bench minutes and 26th in bench points.

While these numbers arent ideal, they need context.

The Celtics have dealt with injuries to starters Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday throughout the season, Porzingis, in particular, has missed a lot of time.

As a result, traditional bench players have played more as starters.

Furthermore, outside of Pritchard, the Celtics arent counting on many bench players for scoring.

With Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown , the Celtics have two elite shot creators and consistent offensive options.

The Jays, along with Derrick White and Pritchard, are enough to maintain an elite offense.

Horford and Hauser are used as spot-up options rather than shot creation, which opens up the Celtics floor spacing and overall offense.

Regardless, both have proven that they can catch fire if the defense allows them to.

Kornet and Queta are mainly used within the offense as quality screeners and lob threats; their points typically come within the flow of the offense.

However, they open the game up for their teammates in a significant way.

Ultimately, the impact of the Celtics bench goes beyond raw scoring numbers.

The Last Word While Pritchards Sixth Man of the Year case is the main story with the Celtics bench, and his scoring has been vital, the overall impact of other depth players cant be ignored.

When healthy, the Celtics arguably have the most complete and balanced rotation in the league.

The Celtics top eight are all proven playoff performers, and Kornets development will allow him to play solid spot minutes.

If the Celtics sustain an injury, they have several deep bench players who can step up and play quality minutes.

Overall, from top to bottom, the Celtics are an elite and well-rounded team.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission..

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