The NBA start could hardly have gone much better for daniel theis. After only eleven appearances in the north american professional basketball league, the national player is already an integral part of the team of record champion boston celtics.
The 25-year-old is also becoming more and more of a fan favorite in massachusetts – his self-sacrificing style of play makes this possible. "I can be quite satisfied with the first few weeks. I actually felt from the first practice that I fit in pretty well," theis said in interview with spox.Com: "I told myself from the beginning that I just wanted to have fun and not approach the matter with too much pressure. When you think too much, you don’t play the way you should play."
The celtics celebrated their tenth consecutive victory in a 107-96 (61-52) win over the los angeles lakers. No other team in the world’s strongest league can currently boast more than five victories at the stadium. Theis scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds against the lakers, confirming the good impression he made in the first weeks of the game. After his move from german champion brose bamberg to boston in the summer, theis has integrated very well.
In his eleven appearances so far, the 6-foot-6 center is averaging 4.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. Theis is on the court for 13.5 minutes per encounter. "When i came in, i always gave the team a lot of energy and got rebounds and stood well defensively, which is my primary role here," said theis. "I just want to enjoy it and bring my game in a way that helps the team"."
The rookie born in salzgitter has quickly become a favorite among fans in boston. "With my style of play, i was already a little bit like that in bamberg because i can drive the fans with my energy and blocks or dunks. I’m really happy that that’s already happening here," said theis.
With ten wins out of twelve games, boston is currently at the top of the eastern conference. The celtics last lost on 18. October. Friday the team hosts the charlotte hornets at home TD garden.