Shane Larkin - an energized spark plug off the bench
Sometimes it is easy to forget about Shane Larkin until he is needed to help win games. In a Boston victory last night against the Dallas Mavericks, he stepped in, and up, to score 11 points in only 14 minutes on the floor. He shot four-of-eight on field goals, three-of-five from beyond the arc, while taking down two rebounds, handing out two assists and stealing the ball twice.
Need an example of players owning their roles with the Celtics? Look no further than Shane Larkin. His role is to be an energetic spark plug off the bench when the C's need it, and he provides that spark nearly every night he's called upon.
— Marc D'Amico (@Marc_DAmico) December 7, 2017
Larkin has played in 18 of the 26 games played by Boston thus far. He is averaging slightly less than 10 (9.9) minutes per game. Shane is looked upon to score and distribute, but he manages, as he did last night, to contribute in other ways.
🗣️ Shane Larkin talks about the next-man-up mentality that helped us defeat the Mavs. pic.twitter.com/4QbVE52KRk
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 7, 2017
With such limited minutes, there can be a lot of pressure on a player to produce. That does not seem to bother Larkin. When your car doesn't start, or your team isn't clicking on all cylinders, a fresh spark plug may be all that is needed. Shane is there when Brad Stevens needs him, and he is always ready. Brad predicted he would have an impact this season. He got that one, and many other things, right.
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Photo credit: Brian Fluharty
