Enes Kanter deserves some love

[apc]

Kanter should have played more in the last Sixers game.
He was doing good against Embiid and for whatever reason Brad went back to Theis.
Each one is good in different matchups.
And we got time lord for the Davis match up.

[wiley]

Kanter is probably a center that we've desperately needed/wanted for years after that Perkins trade.

Yes, there's something to the this...the filling of the void.

Horford was great and Baynes was a true big, but neither could snag rebounds and passes and throw the ball through the ball hoop quite like Kanter.  No one since Perkins has felt as much like daddy.

Let's hope Brad geniously manages our committee of bigs...need more health than current situation to enter the playoffs feeling secure about it.

[Fafnir]

Kanter should have played more in the last Sixers game.
He was doing good against Embiid and for whatever reason Brad went back to Theis.
Each one is good in different matchups.
And we got time lord for the Davis match up.

He played almost the entire fourth quarter, and closed both halves. Theis came back in in the fourth to give Enes a rest, when Embiid was on the bench. Embiid gets a rest mid quarter and then comes back in to close the quarter out (this is the pattern for all 4 quarters). If you look Enes first comes into the game right around when Embiid returns to the game in both halves.

He didn't match up their minutes exactly, that's more of a playoff thing, he definitely is aware that Enes is our best match up for Embiid.

Anyways Enes had 5 fouls for the game, its not like he could have played that many more minutes guarding Embiid before he'd have had 6. Theis is going to have to guard Embiid some, no way to avoid that.

[JBcat]

He is still only 27.  Would love to have him around in this role for the next 4 or 5 years.

[tstorey_97]

The Celtic's bench is night and day compared to the beginning of the season.

First ten games - 51 minutes - 8 rebounds - 18 points (Stevens was leaving the starters out for most of the game)

Last ten games - 79 minutes - 16.7 rebounds - 24.9 points

Enes Kanter is the man behind the majority of the above statistical improvements.

Figures, Ainge, who is so picky with bigs he'd rather not have any, makes a late free agent signing and Kanter is lighting it up.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

I've brought this up in a few threads, but the narrative about his defense has largely been untrue so far this year. His play on that side of the court extends back to last playoffs with the Blazers too. He might be figuring out a few tricks to be average and sometimes disruptive on that side of the court.

I think there is a newish model of big man pick-and-roll defense. I've seen Jokic do some of this as well. The old model is simple, ice the ball-handler (not new) while your teammate gets over the screen and forces a non-three. Then, invite the ball-handler into no-man's land, where few want to take a mid-range shot. When the ball-handler gets into no-man's land, normally they are a bit uncomfortable. Can they confidently pull-up? How about do a floater? What about attack a clogged paint?

What is new is that players like Kanter and Jokic have been using their quick hands and great hand-eye coordination to go for strips or deflections while the ball-handler is dribbling or as they gather. They do this at times instead of challenging the shot up high. Normally, this has been considered a defensive play made by little guys, and the big guys were supposed to defend the rim.

It's not like you can do that every single play. But if he can get deflections and strips on timely plays while he is in the game, it helps increase leads until the starters get back. In other words, Kanter's defense is helping the team win games.

[Vermont Green]

Kanter has been contributing well and seems to be trending up.  Theis has averaged 21.5 min/g, Kanter has been in the same range for the last 8 games or so and this is probably the range he will settle in at based on his career averages.  Regardless of who starts the game, neither of these guys is playing starter minutes.

The Celtics play with one big most of the time that Theis is on the court but Kanter tends to be on the court more often with another big such as Ojeleye.  I have been skeptical of the one big line up but the Celtics for the most part seem to be making this work, at least when Theis is that one big.

I don't understand why they feel Theis is the guy for the one big role and Kanter more often out there with a second big.  Or why they feel that they need to limit Kanter to 20 min or so if he is playing well and not getting into foul trouble.  They don't seem to want Theis and Kanter on the court at the same time so I guess that limits minutes some.

I still have questions about how far we can go based on our bigs even with Kanter playing well and improving.  We can put two bigs out against second units but there is not enough skill in our bigs to match up against first units.  For example, Kanter might be fine as the second big alongside a Horford type skilled big (like Horford and Baynes).  With our current roster, we can't afford to have two bigs out there as our main unit, we give up too much skill so we trade skill for size.

[Jvalin]

Enes Kanter deserves all the love in the world! You gotta have balls of steel to be Turkish and go against Erdogan.

[Fafnir]

I don't understand why they feel Theis is the guy for the one big role and Kanter more often out there with a second big.  Or why they feel that they need to limit Kanter to 20 min or so if he is playing well and not getting into foul trouble.  They don't seem to want Theis and Kanter on the court at the same time so I guess that limits minutes some.

Theis is our best defensive option, and a much weaker offensive player with lower usage than Kanter. So that's one potential reason why he's most often deployed with the Celtics smaller units. (ie offensive lineups)

The Celtics also definitely have a philosophy of limiting how many minutes their big men play, they've. 32 MPG is the max they have their big men play going back to big Al and others, same rules applied to KG. They had the whole staff meet and argue with him about playing less minute so he can be better in the minutes he did play.

They've continued this under Brad but even more so, the only big man he's played more than 24 MPG is Al Horford. He runs a two man big rotation primarily with some small ball every game.

I think this is all overthinking it though. IMO the real reason is Theis is starting that the C's got off to a great start with Theis as a starter, and they'll keep that going until it stops working or a specific playoff match up mandates a change.

[PhoSita]

Kanter has done a good job within his role and for what he is.

His defense is still truly atrocious on a lot of plays.  All you need to do is spend a few possessions watching only Kanter on defense.  It's astonishing how often he fails to rotate or contest at all.

It's also amazing how little he seems to affect players going up to score near the basket even when he's right there.


Nevertheless, so far this year Kanter has been a net positive for the Celts.  Hope that continues.  I won't be surprised if his role is significantly limited in the playoffs against any opponent with a quality pick and roll attack.

[Fafnir]

I won't be surprised if his role is significantly limited in the playoffs against any opponent with a quality pick and roll attack.

And that's exactly why he's so effective versus Philly. Only Houston runs less PnR, and they don't even have the personnel to implement it as an adjustment to attack Enes.

[Fierce1]

Kanter has done a good job within his role and for what he is.

His defense is still truly atrocious on a lot of plays.  All you need to do is spend a few possessions watching only Kanter on defense.  It's astonishing how often he fails to rotate or contest at all.

It's also amazing how little he seems to affect players going up to score near the basket even when he's right there.


Nevertheless, so far this year Kanter has been a net positive for the Celts.  Hope that continues.  I won't be surprised if his role is significantly limited in the playoffs against any opponent with a quality pick and roll attack.

True.

Last season Kanter made Steph Curry average 36.5 ppg in the west finals.

GSW attacked Kanter with the pick and roll non-stop!

[Fierce1]

I won't be surprised if his role is significantly limited in the playoffs against any opponent with a quality pick and roll attack.

And that's exactly why he's so effective versus Philly. Only Houston runs less PnR, and they don't even have the personnel to implement it as an adjustment to attack Enes.

The downside is Kanter also couldn't stop Embiid in their last game in Boston.

Kanter scored 20 but Embiid got 38 points.

[Fafnir]

The downside is Kanter also couldn't stop Embiid in their last game in Boston.

Kanter scored 20 but Embiid got 38 points.

Why the heck are you citing his overall point total when evaluating how well Enes played on defense?

Do you remember that game? Kanter did very well versus Embiid, Embiid is shooting 38% when Enes has matched up with him in the two games we have played versus Philly. Held him under a point per possession in the post.

[Fafnir]

True.

Last season Kanter made Steph Curry average 36.5 ppg in the west finals.

GSW attacked Kanter with the pick and roll non-stop!

Enes Kanter definitely got played off the court by the GSW in the WCF last year. Even without Durant the Warriors were a terrible matchup for him with Draymond/Curry able to slice and dice him.

After game 1 where he played 29 MPG, he was relegated to the bench for the most part. Curry then scored 37, 36 , 37 points. Maybe Kanter wasn't the issue that series? Curry is good.