Copyright NBC10 Boston
The weather in New England is turning cold and raw. Days are getting shorter. You might soon feel the urge to rearrange your shed and rotate the winter equipment toward the front. But let’s be very clear: It’s most definitely Lawn Mower season in Boston. Newcomer Josh Minott, the man who inadvertently nicknamed himself after a grass trimmer while trying to describe his relentless energy early in his NBA career, has lived up to his self hype since joining the Celtics. Jaylen Brown may lay claim as the Energy Shifter on the Celtics’ roster, but Boston has undeniably kicked into a different gear since Minott elevated to the starting lineup two games ago. On Wednesday night, in a showdown against an Eastern Conference favorite in the Cleveland Cavaliers, Minott didn’t just produce a double-double while pulling down a career-high 15 rebounds to go along with his 11 points. He also played some inspired defense against Evan Mobley to fuel the Celtics to a 125-105 triumph at TD Garden. In two starts -- both of Boston’s wins this season -- Minott is averaging 13 points on 55.6 percent shooting to go along with 12.0 rebounds, two steals, and one block over 30.5 minutes per game. The Celtics are a +50 in his time on the floor in those two wins. Dispatched to hound Mobley against the Cavaliers, Minott showed the reigning Defensive Player of the Year he can defend a bit, too. NBA tracking data suggested that Minott limited Mobley to 1 point on 0-for-6 shooting. The Cavaliers as a whole generated just 4 points on 1-of-12 shooting when Minott was deemed the primary defender. Minott has quickly endeared himself with his all-gas, no-brakes play style. He celebrates every corner 3 with a “Why not, Minott?” hand gesture toward the Boston bench, and Celtics fans are embracing the same query. What’s more, the still-only 22-year-old Minott seems genuinely appreciative of his newfound situation. “I’m just trying to do what people expect from me. Just energy, man,” Minott said in his interview with NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin after Wednesday’s win. “I just love this place so much, man. Like, this place just brings me so much happiness -- my teammates, coaches, the staff from top to bottom, the whole organization -- it’s just a blessing to be here. I can’t thank God enough.” It’s weird to say that a team with the All-NBA wing tandem of Jayson Tatum and Brown has needed a running mate like Minott, but the Celtics often have hunted for a defensive-minded, energy-producing player like him. That was clear even last season after the departure of Oshae Brissett left a notable void from Boston’s title team of two years ago. Now, with Tatum rehabbing, the Celtics needed desperately to find a diamond in the rough. And unearthing Minott, the 45th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft who got limited reps to start his career in Minnesota, feels like one of Brad Stevens' best finds in his tenure as Boston’s president of basketball operations Aided by his +42 rating in Monday’s win over the Pelicans, Minott’s net rating stats are off the charts. The Celtics are outscoring opponents by a team-best 22 points per 100 possessions during Minott’s 89 minutes of floor time, and have been outscored by 0.5 points per 100 possessions during his 151 minutes on the bench. Most notably, Boston has a defensive rating of 95.2 with Minott on the court, which is 16 points better than the team’s season average. Boston’s defensive rebound rate also spikes to a team-best 70 percent when Minott is on the court. After ranking last in the NBA in defensive rebound rate amid their 0-3 start, the Celtics have shored up the rebounding with help from Minott’s energy over the last two games. Minott is still a work in progress, but his energy feels infectious. He’s knocked down 4 of 8 corner 3-point attempts and looks especially comfortable when shooting from the right corner. Most of his finishes have come at the rim when he’s either swooping in for loud putbacks or finishing with flashy dunks on transition opportunities. Head coach Joe Mazzulla has been measured with his praise of Minott, suggesting after Wednesday’s win that he can still be better at fighting through screens and being an engaged defender. Minott has a propensity to gamble on the defensive end and leaves himself scrambling back out to shooters (though his size helps him contest). He must continue to grow on that end and pick his spots to be aggressive with help. But the energy is undeniable. Minott feels vital to Boston competing on the glass and eliminating so many of the second- (and third-) chance opportunities that bit the team through the first three games. You can’t help but look ahead to Saturday’s visit from the Houston Rockets and wonder if the Celtics will ask Minott to defend Kevin Durant that night. If the Celtics are going to bottle up all that’s gone well the last two games, they need to keep plenty of gas in the Lawn Mower.
