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Looking at the Boston Celtics‘ current roster, their backup center issues are glaring.
Luke Kornet, Noah Vonleh, and two-way big man Mfiondu Kabengele are all viable rotation players if their roles are well-defined and minutes are managed accordingly. Yet, without Robert Williams, who is recovering from injury, the Celtics are relying on their backup centers to withstand heavy minutes – and are getting mixed results.
With that in mind, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus has pinpointed former All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins as a potential short-term solution to Boston’s problems, noting how the free agent could help resolve their defensive rebounding woes while also bringing some grit to their rotation.
“Never one to hold back his opinion, Cousins isn’t for everyone. Is that why he’s struggled to stay with a team for longer than a season? He’s still a talented scorer with a big body. Hopefully, he’ll get another chance to prove himself,” Pincus wrote in his October 30 article.
Last season, Cousins participated in 48 regular season games split between the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets, averaging nine points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 55.4% from two-point range and 30.3% from deep.
Luke Kornet Impresses Against Wizards
He might not be a household name, but Luke Kornet was an impressive addition to the Celtics’ rotation throughout their victory over the Wizards. At seven-feet tall, Kornet is a quintessential rim-protector, who forces opposing offenses to alter their shot release.
Kornet saw the court for 19 minutes of gameplay on October 30, providing his team with three points, four rebounds, and three assists – however, it was Kornet’s impact as a screener that made the biggest impact. When a ball handler scores directly because of a screen being set, the NBA records it as a ‘screen assist’ – Kornet ended the contest with 12 screen assists points, just four fewer than the entire Wizards rotation.
If the 27-year-old can continue impacting games without the ball in his hand, then the Celtics will likely ensure they find minutes for him, regardless of if they sign another veteran center, or when Robert Williams returns to the rotation.
Malcolm Brogdon Has Breakout Celtics Game
Another player who impressed against the Wizards was Malcolm Brogdon, coming off the bench to provide his team with 23 points, four assists, and three rebounds on 50% shooting from the field.
Brogdon was acquired during the off-season, with the hope that he would be able to galvanize the bench units offense when it began to stagnate – which is exactly what he did in the second half of the October 30 contest. When speaking to the media following his impressive performance, Brogdon shared his belief that the bench unit should look to be just as impactful as the starting lineup, and it’s his hope that he can help them achieve that.
“I’ve been starting my whole career, so to go to the bench, I want to bring that energy to the bench. I want us to believe we’re a starting group as well. And when we’re in there, we play like starters. We play with that energy. We play with that confidence every night as soon as we step on the floor. And that’s what we’ve been doing for the majority of the season,” Brogdon said.
Providing Brogdon can remain healthy, he’s going to be a significant piece of the Celtics championship puzzle, and is already starting to prove he’s what the team was missing in their NBA Finals series against the Golden State Warriors last season.
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