Dalano Banton will seemingly not play a lot for the 2023-2024 Celtics.
However this third-year participant has an intriguing skillset that matches with Boston’s roster wants, and if issues break proper, he might be a rotation participant. There’s an opportunity, a slim likelihood, that Brad Stevens discovered a diamond within the tough, a man who can instantly assist this yr’s workforce and has room for development.
Over two seasons in Toronto, Banton couldn’t persistently crack the rotation. He had a 20-game stretch early in his rookie season the place he averaged 14 minutes, however ever since, he’s been relegated to rubbish time, mop-up obligation, and “the opponent has determined to relaxation all 5 starters for tonight’s sport” motion.
His whole minutes decreased from 696 as a rookie to 279 in 2022-2023. There have been solely two instances final yr when he performed over 20 minutes, and I made a decision to rewatch these video games to establish his strengths, weaknesses, why Nick Nurse misplaced belief in him, and what he may doubtlessly deliver to the Celtics.
Should you’re in search of an oversimplified descriptor of Banton’s sport, he’s the anti-Payton Pritchard. Banton is a 6’7” with a 6’10” wingspan. What he has in top, he doesn’t compensate in quickness. Though he’s not a leaper and doesn’t have an explosive first step, he has fluid lateral motion and distinctive open ground velocity.
With that dimension, he brings rather a lot to the desk: off-balance floaters, well-timed cuts, court docket imaginative and prescient, switchability, and a excessive motor. His major weak spot is his exterior jumper (27.5% 3FG on 102 profession makes an attempt, 23% in faculty), and he lacks any semblance of one-on-one scoring. Conversely, Pritchard doesn’t have the physique or athleticism, however he’s a knockdown shooter with a deep offensive bag. As of late September, third-string level guard spot is Pritchard’s to lose.
On November 14th in opposition to the Detroit Pistons — with Fred VanVleet, Paskal Siakam, and Gary Trent jr. all sidelined — Banton received the beginning and had a profession night time.
Listed below are all of his jumpers from that sport:
Excluding a second quarter heave, Banton shot 3-of-6 from deep. He short-armed the final nook three, however in any other case, you wouldn’t know he had a non-shooter status. He has a compact launch that stays according to every try. He additionally didn’t hesitate to let it fly when open. When a supposed non-shooter shoots with confidence (e.g. early-career Avery Bradley) there’s normally a greater likelihood for enchancment than a reluctant shooter (e.g. Rajon Rondo).
Banton completed with 27 factors on 9-of-16 area objectives, main Toronto to a four-point win. He additionally shined defensively. Watch as he makes use of his size to generate deflections:
He strikes like a smaller participant however nonetheless takes benefit of his elite wingspan. Moreover, he was no pushover when the bigs tried to overpower him within the publish:
And on his greatest defensive play of the night time, he hounds Killian Hayes mentioning the ball then blocks him on the rim:
It needs to be famous that Banton had a 4.5 block share final yr. Certain, he didn’t even play 300 minutes, however 4.5 is ridiculous for a guard. Matisse Thybulle in 2020-2021 had a historic shot blocking season as a guard, and his share was 4.9. Dwyane Wade, typically referred to as one of the best shot blocking guard ever, solely cracked 3.0 as soon as. Banton’s new teammate, Derrick White, led all guards with a 2.8 share final yr.
In his last faculty season at Nebraska, Banton completed fifteenth within the Massive Ten in blocked photographs and posted a 4.0 block share. That is clearly an space of power that Brad Stevens recognized, as he’s prioritized defensive-minded guards since taking up as GM. With Banton and White, the Celtics have two prolonged guards who can combat round screens and contest three pointers whereas additionally providing rim safety in opposition to smaller gamers.
Whereas Banton had a profession sport at Detroit, he nonetheless made some errors:
On the primary play, he supplies pointless assist and will get referred to as for a phantom foul. Banton often confirmed jumpiness in his defensive rotations, seemingly a product of pent-up power from prolonged stints on the bench (an idea identified formally as “Massive DNP Vitality”). On the second play, he takes a wild one-legged jumper, and the third, he jumps earlier than figuring out the place to cross, resulting in a Toronto turnover.
However most of the time, Banton would make the precise performs. Earlier within the sport, his teammates generally ignored him, however because it progressed, he earned their belief and had extra alternatives to provoke offense. Right here, with the sport within the steadiness, he made this easy play for an uncontested dunk:
Because the defenders cheat in the direction of the screener facet, Banton rejects the display screen then drives and dishes to Scottie Barnes within the dunker spot. Making these elementary reads are a necessity for level guards who get constant NBA minutes.
Sadly for Dalano, that constant taking part in time by no means got here. The one significant minutes he obtained for the remainder of the season got here the following sport, November sixteenth in opposition to Miami. And that night time… ehh… didn’t go so effectively.
Earlier than stepping into his offense, let’s watch just a few clips of Jimmy Butler not taking him severely as a defender:
On the primary play, Banton exhibits minimal effort on the level of assault, will get spun round, and gives no resistance on the following Nikola Jovic layup. On the second play, Butler hunts him within the pick-and-roll then simply drives to the rim and attracts the foul.
It’s one factor to get overpowered by an apex predator wing like Butler; it’s one other to have psychological lapses on protection:
On the primary play, it appears to be like like he doesn’t know the pick-and-roll protection. Then, for no matter purpose, he considers leaving Dewayne Dedmon on the block to chase Gabe Vincent operating to the perimeter, and this poor positioning offers Max Strus house to drive and end with none assist protection. On the second play, following a timeout, Nick Nurse is imploring him to cowl Duncan Robinson, who’s alone below the basket. Robinson receives the cross, the protection helps, and Strus will get a slicing dunk. Banton can’t make these psychological errors on the championship contending Celtics.
Because the forty sixth general choose in 2021, Banton wasn’t a extremely scrutinized prospect, however scouts did wonder if he may deal with the physicality of the NBA. On this play late within the first half, he will get punked by Kyle Lowry as he tries to obtain a dribble hand-off:
It’s most likely a foul on Lowry, however Banton doesn’t put up a lot of a combat. He’s not the primary man, and gained’t be the final, to get out-muscled Lowry and Butler. It takes just a few years for younger gamers so as to add power, and guys who haven’t performed a lot want time to know the rhythms of their workforce’s defensive schemes.
Finally, Banton’s bounce shot will dictate his NBA future. Right here, initially of the second half, he takes three early three-pointers:
He will get an increasing number of broad open however can’t make a shot. For all the nice issues he’s able to doing, if Banton can’t hit open threes, he gained’t play. Tatum and Brown will at all times draw assist defenders and perimeter guys have to be able to shoot when open. That is the principle impediment between him and common NBA minutes.
After this triad of misses, Nick Nurse subbed him out with seven minutes left within the third quarter, and he didn’t see the ground the remainder of the sport. The Raptors trailed by double digits, however after Juancho Hernangomez took most of Banton’s second half minutes, they got here again and gained the sport behind O.G. Anunoby’s 18 second half factors. Banton completed the sport with 5 factors on 2-of-10 capturing in 20 minutes whereas posting a -14, by far the worst on the workforce.
Regardless of this uninspired efficiency in opposition to Miami, watching these two mid-November video games leaves me feeling extra optimistic about Banton’s probabilities to affect the Celtics. He’s clearly an NBA-level expertise, however hasn’t gotten constant alternative.
The competitiveness, really feel for the sport, and flexibility are all there. The capturing type is stable and I don’t see why it will possibly’t enhance. Derrick White was a 31 % three-point shooter in 49 mixed common season and playoff video games throughout his first yr with Boston. Then in final yr’s playoffs, White shot 45 % on 5.5 makes an attempt per sport. If Banton places within the work, I can see him capturing within the 35 to 37 % vary.
When Stevens traded Good, the Celtics misplaced their greatest passer, a man who wasn’t afraid of creating a excessive diploma of problem cross to generate a straightforward bucket. Banton made some bold passes throughout this two-game stretch, attempting issues that no person on the present roster would:
The primary is a barely mistimed alley-oop that finally resulted in a rating, and the second is a wrap-around cross on a hammer play that might have labored if Otto Porter jr. received to the nook on time. I used to be impressed by his confidence making these passes, regardless of the awkwardness of the primary and turnover on the second.
The third clip was one in every of his profession highlights. He runs the ground instantly after the Raptors safe the rebound, catches the ball in stride, and finds Chris Boucher for the lob. The Celtics may actually use this model of transition velocity and daredevil passing. I needed to ease my pleasure whereas watching Banton provoke one-man quick breaks:
Primarily based on these two excellent transition finishes, you marvel why he primarily received benched for the remainder of the season. For the 2023-2024 Celtics, it looks as if the highest eight rotation spots are set, however I’m fascinated with seeing who will get probably the most minutes between Banton, Oshae Brissett, Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet, and Jordan Walsh. Coming into coaching camp, most Celtics followers would say Banton is the least prone to win this ninth man spot. However after some novice movie research, this author thinks he’s a darkish horse candidate to sneak into the common rotation.
