Celtics Player Grades vs Phoenix Suns
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| The Celtics beat the Suns 87-79 |
CelticsLife Game Recap
Player Grades:
Kevin Garnett: Did not make his usual impact tonight, but no starter did. He did play his usual great defense however, which was something positive about his night. It was good that Doc got to limit his minutes tonight, and it was great that the team could win without a lot of contribution from him.
B
Brandon Bass: Had a poor shooting night, which was unwelcome to see considering how much better he had been shooting the last couple games. While his energy was flatter than usual, he did manage to snag a few rebounds. Not a great game, and hopefully we will see a bounce-back on Friday.
B
Paul Pierce: Like Bass, he had a poor shooting night but contributed on the boards. Got some additional rest tonight as well, which is a welcome sight for the captain, who is coming off of some good performances.
B
Rajon Rondo: Came out with good energy in the front half of the first quarter, but it disappeared for the rest of the night. Contributed a bit with his playmaking and scoring, but his impact was minimal tonight. Looking forward to seeing some better energy on Friday.
B
Avery Bradley: Played his usual aggressive defense, and shot the well decently too. His impact felt lesser than usual, but his defense was still incredible. Did not play much, but made it count when he was on the floor.
B
Jared Sullinger: Wow. Hard to use words to describe his night. Rookies are not supposed to play this well so consistently. But Jared has just kept on going. He had an efficient 12 points, but the highlight of the night was his career-high 16 rebounds. Well-deserved player of the game for Sullinger, and I cannot wait to see just how good this guy gets.
A
Jeff Green: A year removed from his heart surgery, Jeff came out and had a great game. He was overshadowed by Sullinger, but he gave great energy and effort tonight. He led the team in scoring with 14 points, and had two highlight-reel dunks in the second quarter. Could have rebounded better but that is just a small quibble on a great night from Green. Two good games and counting now!
A-
Jason Collins: Graced us with his presence tonight. Scored a groovy two points.
B-
Courtney Lee: Continues to keep growing as a backup point guard. While he is not going to wow you with any of his playmaking, he makes solid decisions and never stops being aggressive. On defense he really is a dangerous weapon. His quick hands really make other teams watch out before passing.
B
Jason Terry: Finally broke out of his shooting slump for a game. Put up an efficient 13 points, but also showed off the versatility. He helped out on the boards, and did some playmaking. One of the most interesting things tonight was seeing how effective the Terry/Sullinger combo was, and it might become a dangerous pairing later this season. But tonight, Terry did everything we needed.
B+
Conclusion: A solid win for the Celtics tonight, considering how much the bench stepped up. But it was a little disheartening to see how ineffective the starters were, and how the margin of victory was not bigger. Seeing Sullinger and Green play well as of late is a real nice sight however. When the starters and the bench are clicking on the same day, this team is tough to beat. The Celtics 4-game winning streak will next be challenged on Friday against the Houston Rockets. This will be a tough game, so hopefully we see a better performance from the starters.
How did you like the grades? Sound off in the comments!
You can follow Jun Pang on Twitter @CjEuLnTICS
