Boston Celtics Semih Erden Shows That He Belongs In NBA

The hype was all about Jermaine O’Neal getting a shot at starting for the Celtics. However, lost on many people’s radar is the fact Semih Erden would see his first NBA action this regular season. Erden was solid in the preseason and looked like he could fill minutes in the NBA with solid play. However, that was the preseason. Could he translate his modest preseason success to the regular season? The answer is a resounding yes. I preface this statement is I am not looking for all star numbers out of Semhi. I am looking for a guy that can pick up and play solid minutes off the bench if one of the O’Neal boys goes down. In that regard Erden looked solid. He made all the right picks on offense. He passed the ball well. He did not try to force shots.  Erden shot once and hit once. On the defensive end Erden played well. The refs gave him the usual hosing that a rookie center receives with 3 fouls on borderline calls. Despite that he positioned himself well and blocked a shot and bothered...