Talk about a pop quiz…
Prior to Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics forward Drew Peterson had played just seven minutes this season. The two-way man more than tripled that total at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Sunday, logging just under 25 minutes off of Boston’s bench with both Jaylen Brown and Derrick White out of the lineup.
In fact, the second-year forward played all 12 minutes of the second quarter — a crucial stretch for the Cs. They found themselves down as many as 11 points to the hosts, but Peterson’s spark helped keep Boston in the game. He wasn’t afraid to shoot, hit the glass hard, and brought an added defensive energy that they had lacked throughout the opening frame.
For a guy who had played less than ten minutes all year, he looked pretty confident. Just take a look at his first shot of the night.
He pulled up in transition to sink three of his eight points on the evening and there was no hesitation at all for the 24-year-old after being called up from Maine. This make was part of an 18-6 Celtics run, which very well could’ve kept this one from being a blowout.
“It was great to see him out there,” said Kristaps Porzingis postgame. “I liked that he wasn’t shy. One of the first plays, he kind of came off (looking for his shot). We didn’t have the same firepower as usual, so we needed everybody to be aggressive. I told him right away to look for his stuff because he’s a good offensive player. Yeah, he wasn’t shy all night long. He shot his shots and played good defense… In a high-level game like this, it was really cool to see.”
His energy didn’t wither as the game went on either. He continued to play each rep like it could be his last.
Peterson spent several possessions targeted by Cleveland’s elite guard duo of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland and managed to hold his own. Take a look at this stand against Mitchell (who was in the midst of catching fire in the fourth quarter). His persistence and positioning led to one of the lone stops that Boston was able to force against Mitchell in the fourth.
“I thought he had some really good defensive possessions, defending without fouling. He was physical — he’s smart. He has a knack for the ball, whether it’s offensive rebounding or moving without the basketball to get open, and I think he works really hard,” Joe Mazzulla said.
Peterson played with incredible poise all game long, which his head coach credited to the consistent work that he and the rest of the Celtics’ “stay ready” crew put in regularly.
“You try to find moments throughout the season where you can validate the work that the guys put in, regardless of who it is, Jordan (Walsh), Drew, Jaden (Springer), JD (Davison), and those guys,” he explained via NBC Sports Boston. “So, I just felt like he’s had really good reps lately, and I thought he put us in a position to help us win.”
With little opportunity in Boston, Peterson has gotten his reps in with the team’s G-League affiliate. In his second season with the “Lobster Lads,” the former USC standout has done a bit of everything. He’s averaged 19.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 45.9% from the field and 33.3% from deep.
It’s unclear if a spot in the big club’s rotation will open up, but it was encouraging to see a player like Peterson so prepared when his number was called. At the very least, he passed his first Mazzulla pop quiz.