Daniel Theis

Theis now finds himself in Indiana after playing a backup role for the Celtics during the 2021-22 playoffs. He initially stated last season with the Rockets but was an option that didn't fit their timeline. Unfortunately, that could very well be the case, given the Pacers are building towards the future. With players such as Myles Turner, Isaiah Jackson and Jalen Smith all ahead of him, there will not be much playing time to go around. Unless we hear that the coaching staff will get him out there early in the season as they push for a trade, Theis should remain well off the radar, even in deeper formats.

After two subpar years in Boston as a reserve player, Theis made a name for himself as a reliable starter during his past two seasons. The Rockets snatched the veteran up on a four-year, $36 million deal this offseason. The 29-year-old averaged 9.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.9 blocks across 24.6 minutes per game as he split time between Boston and Chicago last year. The seven-footer saw a noticeable regression in his rebounding, as his per-game averages fell from 6.6 rebounds in 2019 to 5.5 last year. This drop caused him to slip from 92nd overall in fantasy scoring during the 2019-20 season to 118th overall last season. It is still uncertain whether Theis will be the opening day starter for the Rockets, as they have rising star Christian Wood and the No. 16 overall pick Alperen Sengun also on the roster. However, given Theis' ability to play both frontcourt spots, it is safe to assume Theis will play a significant role for Houston in 2021-22 and may be in line for a career year.

During the 2019-20 season, Theis transitioned from helpful reserve to reliable starter. In Theis' first two seasons in Boston, he started five of 129 games. But last year, Theis started 64 of 72 regular season games and all 17 playoff games for Boston. His playing time expanded to 24.1 minutes per contest, which led to career highs in points (9.2), rebounds (6.6), blocks (1.3) and three-pointers (0.5) per game. That said, Theis was the fifth option on offense for a Boston squad usually sporting Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker as his fellow starters. And now that Boston has added Tristan Thompson, a slight improvement over departed Enes Kanter, Theis could see a slight dip in playing time. Expect Theis to have the upper hand over Thompson as the starter to begin the season, especially with the shortened off-season. Also, hopefully, Theis can continue to avoid the injury issues that plagued the German center during his first two seasons with the Celtics.

The 27-year-old Theis has proved two things over his first two years in the Association. First, he's an effective big man off the bench, contributing with solid defense, strong rebounding and even decent three-point shooting. Second, he's brittle, having missed 35 games in two seasons due to knee issues and other ailments. With his injury history in mind, don't expect Theis' roughly 14 minutes per game to change much this season, despite the departure of Al Horford and Aron Baynes. Coach Brad Stevens will value Theis' presence, but expect sophomore Robert Williams and French import Vincent Poirier to also plenty of floor time backing up assumed starter Enes Kanter. Plus there is always the outside chance Boston decides to experiment with rookie Tacko Fall at the big league level. For Theis, expect another season of brief spurts of productivity in between absences due to nagging injuries.

Theis emerged as a meaningful bench contributor in his first NBA season, appearing 63 games and making three starts before a knee injury cut his season short. While Theis wasn't Fantasy-relevant in most formats, he averaged a double-double per 36 minutes and flashed a better-than-expected stroke from beyond the arc. Theis is expected to be fully recovered by the time the regular season rolls around, but with Al Horford and Aron Baynes both back, he'll have a difficult time seeing more than the 14.9 minutes per game he averaged as a rookie. Barring an injury to one of the aforementioned bigs, Theis can be ignored in most Fantasy formats.

German power forward Theis is expected to earn a reserve roster spot with the Celtics following the three-for-one deal that brought Kyrie Irving to Boston. The 6’9” star from Brose Bramberg of the Euroleague has the potential to provide some much-needed rebounding and rim-protection for the Celtics. Theis was an important contributor on a team that won three consecutive national titles in Germany in addition to the 2017 German National Cup. In 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 he was a German BBL All-Star Starter and named the Defensive Player of the Year in 2016-17. He was also named the Best National Player in the BBL in 2015-2016. Theis will battle fellow international players Aron Baynes and Guerschon Yabusele for backup power forward minutes. The Irving trade does free up potential minutes for Theis. Expect Coach Brad Stevens to experiment with lineups throughout the season, which might results in both 15-minute games and DNPs for Theis.