The Boston Celtics might not have won the day with the Brooklyn Nets taking Game 1 of the first-round series between the two Atlantic Division foes, but there were still some positives for the Celtics to take away from the contest on a player-by-player basis.
There were no truly trash performances, with everyone bringing their best effort who played significant minutes in the game. And while there were a few players who flopped a little or a lot, there were plenty of things for Boston to build off of moving forward in this series and beyond. To that end, Celtics Wire is analyzing each player who put in at least five minutes of game time, with a brief analysis of their play and a letter grade assessment.
Let’s take a look at how the team performed against the Nets.
Payton Pritchard – 7 minutes, 0 points, 1 assist – D-
AP Photo/Mary Schwalm
Pritchard’s first postseason appearance was a flop, not that this should be seen as much evidence of anything. Largely ineffective in his limited run, we believe he’ll rise to the occasion soon enough — but this was almost as bad as it could have gone for him.
Aaron Nesmith – 17 minutes, 5 points, 4 assists – C
Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports
While Nesmith wasn’t much of a factor on offense, his defense is where he truly shone in his first postseason minutes. Guarding all three of Brooklyn’s superstars without fouling was quite the feat, and bodes well for the future of the Vanderbilt product in the playoffs.
Jabari Parker – 22 minutes, 9 points, 4 rebounds – C
Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports
For a player almost no one would expect to see floor time never mind impact the game, we have little negative to say about Parker. He made the most of his opportunity, even if he did cancel out a few of those eye-popping sequences with some bone-headed plays.
Robert Williams – 23 minutes, 11 points, 9 rebounds, 9 blocks – A+
Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports
We are rarely in the business of handing out A+ grades for postseason play, but when you set a franchise record for blocks, steal James Harden’s lunch and swallow Nick Claxton whole all while playing through turf toe, it’s hard to imagine grading Timelord’s play against the Nets any other way.
Tristan Thompson – 25 minutes, 4 points, 10 rebounds – C
AP Photo/Corey Sipkin
Thompson did manage to be a force on the glass when he was in the game, but did little else to impact winning. No extraordinary effort going after loose balls, little passing out of the post, and he wasn’t much help offensively, not that that’s part of his usual role.
Kemba Walker – 27 minutes, 15 points – C
Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports
Foul trouble took the UConn product out of the game — and HIS game — early. And when he was able to see floor time, Walker struggled to connect, but did little to help his teammates save some well-timed placement of his body in the path of driving opponents.
Evan Fournier – 39 minutes, 10 points, 6 rebounds – C
Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports
Solid on defense save for one especially broken play guarding Irving, Fournier needed to be at least a threat on offense — and mostly was not, going 3-for-10 from the field. Still, a solid playoff debut for Boston.
Marcus Smart – 40 minutes, 17 points, 5 assists – B+
AP Photo/Corey Sipkin
Almost an ideal game from the Flower Mound native, with Smart being his usual self on defense and fairly solid on the other end of the ball. He may have been shooting just a bit more than was probably good, but in light of his teammates’ struggles, it was understandable — and not excessive, either.
Jayson Tatum – 41 minutes, 22 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists – A-
Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports
While Tatum was cold from the field, shooting just 6-of-20 from the field and 1-of-4 from 3-point range, he took it to the rack to score on 9-of-11 free throw attempts. Obviously, it would have been better had he been dominant on both ends of the floor, but we’ll take the growth in his game at the line. This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook! [lawrence-related id=50950,50920,50917,50911] [listicle id=50861]
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