Not Falling for Tacko: Boston Celtics center needs to do more than just being a height specimen

Celtics Nation was ready to celebrate after the announcement that Tacko Fall was added to the active roster last week while three Boston centers deal with various injuries. People sent their Tacko Halloween costumes to dry cleaning. Some tried to get #TackoTuesday trending. Friday’s rout of the Detroit Pistons drew “We want Tacko” chants from the TD Garden crowd. They exploded the moment head coach Brad Stevens turned to Fall to enter the game.

Me? That was cute, but I need more.

Look, I’m all for rooting for the long shot. And in the long run, I hope the Boston Celtics can develop Fall into a valuable, productive contributor to the team. We all know Boston can use some rebounding and a defensive presence in the paint.

Standing 7'6 tall and with an 8'4 wingspan, Fall has the potential to be able to do both very well. For now, all he is is potential. Fall needs work on his game since he’s been playing the sport for just a handful of years.

And if after investing significant time teaching the finer points of pro basketball and force-feeding Fall minutes with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA G League, if Boston reaches the conclusion that Fall won’t become the player the Celtics hope he could be, then Boston has no choice but to move on from the Senegalese center.

No hard feelings. It’s just business.

And I would be 100 percent behind that decision if it comes to that because I have no interest in a mascot on the roster.

Ask an average Tacko fan why they like Fall and the first answer oftentimes is, “He’s really tall.” Really? How nice. Height is an attribute, not an ability. Kristaps Porzingis is really tall too. But people don’t like him because of that. They like Porzingis because he has the elite skill of a 6'7 player while standing at 7'4.

Extraordinarily tall players have come and gone through the NBA. Teams will take a chance on a prospect if the measurables are off the charts. But if stretching tape measures is all a player can offer, they get discarded in a heartbeat.

Fall at least has shown some ability to play. While viewed as a sideshow during the Las Vegas Summer League, Fall did more than exciting the crowd curious to see the anomaly. In limited minutes Fall shot 77 percent while averaging 1.4 blocks per game. And for a player his size, Fall actually moved up and down the court decently.

Fall’s performance earned him a two-way contract with the Celtics, giving Boston the chance to keep a close eye on his development with the Red Claws and the opportunity to add him to the Celtics roster for up to 45 days.

So far Tacko’s numbers have shown promise, averaging 13.6 points, 9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks with the Red Claws. Is Fall ready for the next level?

Well…sorry for postponing the Tacko party, but the Celtics have had developmental players tear it up with the Red Claws before, but the production didn’t take the Portland to Boston train with the prospect.

The latest example was Guerschon Yabusele, a physical specimen I was fond of after the Celtics selected the Frenchman 16th overall in 2017. I was impressed by Yabusele’s draft highlights. I gave him multiple nicknames and even researched purchasing his Chinese Basketball Association jersey after he dominated the league in his lone year of play.

But back in the States, Yabusele was a ‘tweener without a position, unable to find his range. He became the roster novelty, entering games that have already been decided to launch threes and give the home crowd joy by celebrating a made three with a Usain Bolt-like bow-and-arrow.

That’s what I don’t want to see Tacko Fall become. No pro athlete desires to be a team gimmick. The highlight of Fall’s contribution shouldn’t be the crowd laughing after Fall dunks while barely leaving his feet.

How can Tacko Fall fit into the Celtics' rotation?

Tacko Fall needs to make good use of his height and size

Bluntly put, Boston is a mediocre rebounding team. The Celtics allow 10.6 offensive rebounds per game, 21st in the league. They have a problem with allowing second-chance points (13.4 points, 19th overall). If Fall can make Boston better in those areas, he’s more than welcome to try and earn a spot in the rotation.

That’s a big if. Tacko has to answer questions: does he have enough foot speed to play against the best athletes in the world? Can he adequately defend on the perimeter on a pick-and-roll? Can he handle post players that will try to bully or spin around him? If opponents start lofting floaters over his reach, how will Fall adjust?

Fall got into the last two games, for a total of 7:07 of garbage time. Fall enjoyed the two cameos as much as the fans enjoyed watching Fall sink a hook shot. Entertainment isn’t Fall’s goal, though.

Paraphrasing his quotes after the Pistons win, Fall said:

“I have a long way to go. I have to stay the course, trust in the plan they have for me and things will work out. There’s a few areas where I feel I can do better. I feel like I have so much more potential. I just don’t want to be average.”

That’s the right approach, and that’s what fans should want from Fall.

Maybe with more seasoning with the Red Claws, Fall will one day come off the bench for the Celtics and contribute meaningful minutes.

Otherwise, he’s just a 300-pound Tacko. The imagery is amusing, but that’s it.

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