It’s been quite the week for Boston Celtics guard Jaden Springer. After being glued to the bench all season long, he’s suddenly broken into Joe Mazzulla’s rotation.
Of course, the flashpoint for all of this was his stint at Intuit Dome against the LA Clippers on Wednesday, Jan. 22. His energy and defensive intensity provided the team a much-needed spark off of the bench on a night where they struggled to get stops. Not to mention that he played his way onto the floor for clutch time and sank the dagger on a corner three.
Since then, we’ve seen him more consistently. Springer has logged non-garbage-time minutes in two of the four games following his eye-catching outing against the Clips.
Over his last five outings, the 22-year-old has played about 11.6 minutes each night. He has averaged 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game on 47.1% from the field and 46.2% from beyond the arc.
Fans got a great look at Springer in Wednesday’s win over the Chicago Bulls. He logged 20 minutes (including some in the first quarter) on a night when all of the guards ahead of him in the depth chart (Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard) were healthy.
That’s not nothing. There’s been a clear effort from Boston’s man in charge to get the defensive guard onto the court more.
“He’s gotten a couple of turnovers, some deflections, and just his on-ball defense,” said Mazzulla of Springer’s increased play. “I think certain guys bring certain things to the table and when he’s out there he makes everyone better around him defensively just because of his physicality.”
The former Tennessee standout’s physical style of defense was on full display in the 122-100 victory, as he logged three total “stocks” Wednesday. Watching Springer play defense is like watching the guy in the pickup game who’s trying too hard — except he’s actually good at it and will play that way on EVERY possession.
As someone who’s been drinking the Springer Kool-Aid since last February, this week has ROCKED. I’m an absolute sucker for guards who defend like maniacs but can’t shoot. Needless to say, I was devastated when the Celtics traded Marcus Smart.
I will be just as devastated (no, I won’t, but I’ll be displeased) if Brad Stevens moves Springer ahead of the Feb. 6 NBA Trade Deadline. As mentioned at the top of this piece, there’s been tons of buzz and speculation about the…
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