The Celtics were able to beat the Toronto Raptors in a grueling, yet entertaining seven game series. Now, it’s time to hand out some awards.
MVP: Jayson Tatum
Tatum continued his ascension to superstardom in this series, as he led the Celtics in points (24.3) and rebounds (10.3) per game, while also showing off his improved playmaking with 5.3 assists per game. He was able to make history in game seven as he became the second-youngest player to score 25+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ assists in a game seven. Toronto made it clear that they weren’t going to let Kemba Walker beat them, going to a Box and-1 defense. Tatum stepped up and brought the Celtics home. If the Celtics want to have championship aspirations, he is going to have to lead them.
Defensive Player: Marcus Smart
Smart was the heart and soul of the Celtics in this series. He set the tone defensively and took on the challenge of guarding Kyle Lowry once he got it going. Lowry scored just nine total points on 3-7 shooting when being guarded by Smart. Game seven is where Smart left his print, though. He guarded Lowry on 25 possessions and held him to zero points on 0-1 shooting and one turnover. While that was great, his game-saving block on Norman Powell was better, ultimately sealing the win for the Celtics.
6th Man: Robert Williams
The Celtics really shrunk their rotation in this series as Brad Wanamaker and Robert Williams were the only players off the bench to get consistent minutes. While his numbers are nothing special — 5.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game — the Timelord had a 6.2 Net rating, good for fourth on the team. Even though his role diminished as the series went on, he was still a key part as to how the Celtics took a 2-0 series lead.
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Surprise Player: Daniel Theis
Theis had a very solid series, averaging 10.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. However, he had two standout performances. The first came in game one, where he had 13 points and a playoff career-high 15 rebounds. The second came in the game six double-overtime thriller, where he had 18 points and seven rebounds. He was able to take advantage of the Raptors going small with OG Anunoby at the five.
The Celtics open Game 1 of the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals tonight at 6:30 PM ET.
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