Chris Boucher

In August, Boucher signed a one-year deal with the Celtics. The lengthy 6-foot-9 big man joins a frontcourt mix in Boston that is woefully thin. Boucher will be competing with fellow NBA career reserves Neemias Queta, Luka Garza and Xavier Tillman for minutes at the five. This season could provide an excellent opportunity for Boucher to exceed his career-high 24.2 minutes per game, which he experienced with Toronto back in 2020-21. On the other hand, Boucher is a 32-year-old veteran whose best playing days may be behind him. His skinny frame and length imply a high shot block count, but Boucher averaged only 1.0 block per 36 minutes last season. That said, Boucher averaged 2.8 blocks per 36 minutes back in 2020-21. We'll see if Coach Mazzulla lets Boucher sell out for blocks or forces him to focus on rebounding. Boston's poor team rebounding might force Boucher to stay conservative. Boucher will probably love Mazzulla's affection for three-point shooting. Last season, 53 percent of Boucher's shot attempts were from long distance. Boston shot the highest quantity of threes last season, so expect Boucher to continue to bomb away from behind the arc. He's a 34 percent career three-point shooter. Early on, Queta will probably start for the Celtics due to two seasons with Boston. But in what is a "bridge season" for the C's, expect to see plenty of lineup changes throughout the year. After a few disappointing seasons, Boucher's arrow is pointing slightly up. Read Past Outlooks