Theis is Birdman with a shot!!

[crimson_stallion]

What did I tell you guys! (could be an overreaction)
Great win over the hornets!
Theis really played like I thought he could, earning player of the game honors with 12 pts in 14 min!

I'll post highlights as soon as I find some

He certainly looked very nice today, as did Baynes 

I mean really - we beat a playoff team by double figures in our first game together as a team, in a game where our 5 most exciting offensive players (Irving, Hayward, Horford, Tatum and Brown) shot something like 30% combined. 

A big reason for that was the play of Theis and Baynes - who both impacted the game across all three dimensions (offense, defence and rebounding).  The defence, rebounding and energy are exactly what this team has been needing for years now, the fact that they even made a contribution on offense (and a pretty big one, at that) is just icing on the cake. 

If Theis and Baynes can prove that this wasn't a fluke dame, and that they can continue to produce like this on a nightly basis, then they will be difference makers for this team.
 
Lets stay calm for now though - once I've seen a stretch of strong gams from those guys, then I will allow myself to let loose a little with the excitement

[Surferdad]

Theis was player of the game. No doubt. Big surprise. He made those 19yos look like 19yos.
Belongs right there with Horford and Baynes among their best bigs. He'll move up the charts from this game. 

Irving showed IT can be replaced. He'll be a main man. Horford did his thing. Nader, Rozier, Larkin nice off the bench.

Disappointments? Hayward, who didn't show much this game. Not for his contract. You wonder if he fits. Brown, whose only shot seems to be a dunk. Yabu stumbling over his feet. Tatum incomplete.

The youngsters looked green. The experienced players held the day.

I don't think it's fair to start criticizing Hayward. He only got 17 minutes cuz brad wanted to see all 15.  Plus a Hayward fan on here said he tends to start slow at the beginning of season

Agree, he probably had a few jitters too. I am not worried about Gordon, just missed some jumpers but did a lot of other good things like passing and rebounding. Definitely no reason to be concerned about fit.

[Bobshot]

Tatum quietly had a pretty good night, looking at the stat sheet. 32 minutes--more than any other player. Only 9 pts, but a couple blocks and steals, 5 rebounds and assists. Filled the stat sheet. Good start. That kid Lamb of Charlotte also looked good.

[SHAQATTACK]

He. has much of Kellys offense .  With out the nervousness of rebounding and mixing it up in the paint. 

I like his game .....way more physical than Tyler Zeller or KO. and built stronger than Jonas .   We needed this type of player

[Chief]

He. has much of Kellys offense .  With out the nervousness of rebounding and mixing it up in the paint. 

I like his game .....way more physical than Tyler Zeller or KO. and built stronger than Jonas .   We needed this type of player

I agree. I liked what I saw.

[DrJasper]

Tommy seems to like him already! 

Some Highlights vs Hornets:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dYTCOSOpUg

[crimson_stallion]

Tatum quietly had a pretty good night, looking at the stat sheet. 32 minutes--more than any other player. Only 9 pts, but a couple blocks and steals, 5 rebounds and assists. Filled the stat sheet. Good start. That kid Lamb of Charlotte also looked good.

I really liked what I saw from Tatum. 

You read all the scouting reports and you kinda expect Tatum to be this really slow, immobile guy who is lazy on defence, never passes, can't rebound and can't really do anything but play iso ball. 

Watching him tonight, that IMHO couldn't be further from the truth.  He certainly looked a bit over excited today (very obvious first game jitters) but I don't think anybody could question his energy / motor.  He played hard on both ends of the court, and whatever strugglers he had - it certainly was not due to lack of effort. 

He fought hard for rebounds, he played with a great deal of energy on defence, and one thing that really impressed me was his passing.  There were multiple occasions where he drew aggressive double teams, and not only did he avoid turning the ball over on those occasions - but he was actually able to do a very good job of seeing over the defence and passing out of double teams to find the open man (he got at least one or two assists on those plays).

That's a skill that a lot of veterans struggle with, and this kid is only 19 year old.  Offensively, he is unbelievably polished.

Defence will take time, but he certainly showed flashes.  I think this kid is going to be a STUD.

[guava_wrench]

Yeah, Tatum seemed really active on D

[DrJasper]

Full Game Highlights vs Hornets:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lig8nmQ3v68

Enjoy! 

[Surferdad]

He. has much of Kellys offense .  With out the nervousness of rebounding and mixing it up in the paint. 

I like his game .....way more physical than Tyler Zeller or KO. and built stronger than Jonas .   We needed this type of player

Combine the best qualities of KO, Zeller and JJ and you've got Daniel Theis.  Love the consolidation of talent!

[tonydelk]

Theis - I was surprised how well he played above the rim.  A few of those allyoop passes were off the mark or he would have had 2-3 more buckets.  He seems he can definitely fill the Jerebko role.  He was constantly around the ball and in great position.  Hitting shots and passing will be what we need to see consistently.  I was happy with the play of everyone except Yabu.  He seemed glued to the floor.  I hope the 1st game jitters are out.  This team will score.  Defense is what I am hoping they can continue to build and show they are just not a scoring team.

[Big333223]

He. has much of Kellys offense .  With out the nervousness of rebounding and mixing it up in the paint. 

I like his game .....way more physical than Tyler Zeller or KO. and built stronger than Jonas .   We needed this type of player

Combine the best qualities of KO, Zeller and JJ and you've got Daniel Theis.  Love the consolidation of talent!

Wouldn't that be just perfect.

I don't want to overreact to one preseason game. Theiss is still going to have to fight for playing time among the undersized bigs on the bench but I do think he's the most ready to step up and play meaningful minutes (over Semi or Yabu).

[fairweatherfan]

I've never seen Theis play outside of little highlight clips. Very pleased to see how long he looked against NBA competition. Good instincts, generally knew where to be and how to make positive plays. You can tell he's been a pro for a while. But the regular season's a whole different game, and the playoffs another one beyond that.

[footey]

Theis - I was surprised how well he played above the rim.  A few of those allyoop passes were off the mark or he would have had 2-3 more buckets.  He seems he can definitely fill the Jerebko role.  He was constantly around the ball and in great position.  Hitting shots and passing will be what we need to see consistently.  I was happy with the play of everyone except Yabu.  He seemed glued to the floor.  I hope the 1st game jitters are out.  This team will score.  Defense is what I am hoping they can continue to build and show they are just not a scoring team.

He's not a great leaper but he has very long arms, so he gets above the rim very fast. Just not too high above it.

[CelticsFanFromNYC]

Plays the pick and roll well and boxes out.  Its like David Lee slimmed down and worked on his vertical.