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Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics Ups and Downs – Week 2

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In modern America everyone is always busy, running around from business meetings to soccer practices and ballet recitals. With a whirlwind of activities, sometimes against your will, people can’t watch every minute of Boston Celtics basketball. That’s why I’m here. Every Monday I will run through three ups and three downs of Boston basketball from the previous week. Lets start with the Ups!

Al Horford

The Ups

Al Horford and Kyrie Irving Are Finding Their Groove

The chemistry between Horford and Kyrie wasn’t there to start. After the injury to Hayward, each player had to figure out their new role within the offense. The feeling out process took a few days, but the tandem is starting to gel. Boston has made an effort to run the offense more through Horford and it has paid off. Horford is an excellent passing big, and Kyrie’s penetration opens up passing lanes. The two-man game has been seamless over Boston’s four-game winning streak. While Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have got a lot of the headlines, and rightfully so, Horford and Kyrie are reminding people why they are multi-time All-Stars.

Aron Baynes is a Hit in Boston

Adding Baynes slid under the radar after what was a chaotic offseason for Boston. The Aussie big man had never been a star, but his rugged style of play was something the team had not had since the days of Kendrick Perkins. Baynes has been an anchor on the defensive end. While not the most athletic center, he has used the rule of verticality better than anyone since Roy Hibbert. He has also crashed the glass with a certain brutality. Over the four-game winning streak, Baynes has averaged six rebounds in just 20 minutes per game. Baynes has helped on offense as a knock-down, pick-and-pop player. He has been a useful outlet for Kyrie in the pick-and-roll game when Horford is on the bench.

Marcus Smart defense

The Boston Celtics, a Defensive Dynamo?

Hayward and Kyrie improved the offense, but after the loss of Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder, many experts were concerned about Boston’s defense. After stifling the Miami Heat on Saturday night, Boston now has the second-best defense in the league. They are in the top-five in defensive rating (2nd), defensive rebound percentage (3rd), and steals (5th). The length of players like Brown and Tatum has ramped up Boston’s perimeter defense. Boston is holding opposing teams to just 28.3 percent from beyond the arc, a major factor for their improvement. On top of the length, Horford has put himself in the early season Defensive Player of the Year conversation, after guarding the likes of Giannis, Kristaps Porzingis and Ben Simmons.

The Downs

After a perfect 3-0 week there aren’t too many things to complain about, but there were a few things that need to be cleaned up.

Too Many Turnovers

The Celtics are sixth in the league in turnovers per game with 14.7. Most of these are due to so many young players in key spots, and it needs to be improved. The defense can’t stay at this level if Boston continues to give their opponents free possessions. As players start to gel, the turnovers should decrease, but it’s something to monitor.

Why Can’t Boston Shoot Free Throws?

Again, I’m grasping at straws a bit here, but it is curious. Boston finished third in the league last season in free throw shooting percentage. Through six games they are ranked 21st. Again, you could chalk this up to youth and players still trying to find their form, but the Celtics are throwing away points at the charity stripe. The average 6.3 free throws they are missing could be the difference between a win and a loss.

Jaylen Brown

Where or Where has Jaylen Brown Gone?

You can stack this up in the “Small Sample Size, Large Overreaction” category if you so choose. After leading the team with 23 points against the Knicks, Brown was held to single-digit scoring in his last two games. More concerning is the fact that in those games he shot just 3-17 from the field. Brown will undoubtably struggle at times throughout the season. More often than not Kyrie, Horford and Tatum will pick up the slack, but Boston is going to rely on him to add a scoring punch on the wing. The shooting will need to improve and so will the consistency.

Jaylen Brown

The Kids Are Alright – Brown and Tatum Lead the Way

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After the Gordon Hayward injury, Brad Stevens knew he would have to rely on a lot of younger players. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum would have to grow up and contribute in a big way. We knew that Tatum and Brown had a chance to be great. Nobody could have predicted how quickly these two would acclimate and exceed in their new roles. The ceiling is the limit, and Stevens expects that much:

Brown started the game on fire, scoring 13 of his game-high 23 points in the first quarter. His aggression and willingness to go to the basket have been on display since day one. Brown is exceptional at getting to the hoop and has shown the ability to break down defenders and finish around the rim. After some shaky shot making last season, Brown is shooting 62.1 percent in the restricted area and 65.1 percent on all of his two-point shots. He’s also been dynamic inside the three-point arc. Adding even a league-average three-point shot will make him very difficult to stop.

Jayson Tatum

Tatum took the increased role with the team and ran with it. Understandably, Tatum was hesitant on the offensive end early in the season. He passed up open shots and deferred to veterans like Kyrie and Horford. Tuesday night against the Knicks was Tatum’s coming out party. It may have been Brown’s 21st birthday, but Tatum shined just as bright. He scored in a variety of ways, including knocking down four out of six shots from beyond the arc. He showcased his midrange game, blew past slower defenders, and threw down a hellacious put-back dunk on Tim Hardaway’s head.

Tatum’s offensive game has been even better than advertised. He is in the top-five for the rookie class in points (4th), rebounds (5th), three-point shooting (2nd), steals (3rd), and blocks (2nd). His numbers have been far more than what was expected at this point in his rookie year, but Tatum is proving to be a potent scorer who can also impact the game in a handful of different ways.

TATUM AND BROWN ARE THRIVING ON DEFENSE

The offensive numbers are great, but Brown and Tatum have held their own on the defensive end. Before the season started, Stevens harped on how important Brown’s defense would be to the Celtics. Brown has all of the tools to be an elite wing defender, and has shown signs of taking that next step.

Brown was thrown into the fire on defense early in the season. Guarding LeBron and Giannas on back-to-back nights is near impossible, but Brown held his own. He has also been able to switch on to both point guards and power forwards seamlessly. He will draw the assignment of every team’s best wing scorer, and his ability to defend will dictate the team’s success.

Tatum’s defense, something that was seen as a work-in-progress before the season, has been a pleasant surprise. While his athleticism doesn’t compare to Brown, Tatum’s length allows him to recover and challenge shots. Tatum still has trouble guarding bulkier post players, i.e. Dario Saric, but his ability to switch and play team defense unlocks lineups that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.

There will be bumps along the road. Not every night will result in historic scoring from Brown and Tatum. But these two are stars, and the sky is the limit for their potential. If there is a silver lining around the Hayward injury, it’s that fact that the youngsters will get a chance to expand their game and dominate.

 

Gordon Hayward Injury

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE CELTICS?

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In a night filled with anticipation and excitement, a 102-99 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers seemed insignificant to the Boston Celtics. The image of Gordon Hayward laying on the ground and pointing at his left ankle in shock will stick in the minds of fans across the NBA. According to many media outlets, Hayward suffered a fractured left ankle and has been flown back to Boston to undergo surgery. A timetable for his return has not been specified. It seems trivial to talk about what the team does going forward in the face of such a devastating injury, but the season moves on. The Celtics have to regroup and move forward without Hayward.

Jaylen Brown

WHO STEPS UP FOR THE CELTICS?

The Celtics were understandably shocked after the Hayward injury. Players were forcing things in an attempt to pick the team up for the remainder of the first half. As the game move on and emotions settled, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and Jayson Tatum stepped up. With Hayward out for the foreseeable future, the youngsters are going to have to carry this team. Even before the Hayward injury, Brown was attacking the basket without inhibition. He was a key piece in bringing the Celtics back from an 18-point deficit in the third quarter. After looking completely hapless in the first half, Smart turned up the intensity and scored all of his 12 points in the third quarter.

The success of the Celtics in Hayward’s absence will fall on these three players. Tatum will not have a chance to grow and mature in a smaller role. He is going to get more minutes and be expected to contribute. Tatum finished the game with 14 points and 10 rebounds, and showed more poise as the game went on. While the Hayward injury is devastating, it will give Brown, Tatum, and Smart even more minutes to develop.

Kyrie Irving

IT REALLY IS KYRIE’S TEAM NOW

There have always been questions about Kyrie’s leadership. The coming months will, hopefully, answer those questions. The Celtics are his team now, and he will have to lead them. After a sluggish start in an emotionally charged game, Kyrie showed what he is capable of in the fourth quarter. He knocked down three shots from beyond the arch to keep the C’s close. Kyrie finished with 22 points and 10 assists, and yet he will need to do more. There will be a balancing act that Kyrie has to conquer. Yes, this team will need exceptional numbers from him, but most importantly, he can’t force things. Kyrie needs to get people involved and in addition be the assassin that we know him to be.

WHAT WILL THE CELTICS LOOK LIKE NEXT MONTH

Because the details of Hayward’s injury are still up in the air, the Celtics must reformulate their plan going forward. Three-point shooting on the wing will need to be better. Brown and Tatum combined to go 3-11 from behind the three-point line. Marcus Morris will certainly help when he returns, but the kids will have to step up. Stevens should stick with the youth movement in Hayward’s absence. Kyrie, Brown, Morris, Tatum, and Al Horford will give the Celtics the best chance to win. Smart, Terry Rozier, and Aron Baynes will captain the second unit. Everyone will need to step up in the coming months. Kyrie, Brown, and Horford will carry the load, but each player will need to contribute.

Our thoughts and prays are with Hayward for a speedy recovery. I will leave you with a bit of optimism:

Jayson Tatum

THE JAYSON TATUM ERA IS ABOUT TO BEGIN

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The circumstances around the arrival of Jayson Tatum in Boston are…peculiar. The Celtics hit the jackpot with the number one pick after years of being screwed by the ping-pong balls. In a draft that was both deep, and filled with potential franchise-altering talent, Boston held the reigns. Fans could hardly contain themselves after combing through highlight clips of Markell Fultz, the presumptive top pick out of Washington. Then Danny Ainge trades the pick. The team drops down to the third pick, Fultz heads to Atlantic division rival Philadelphia, and Tatum lands in our laps. Oh how quickly things can change.

Tatum slid under the national radar while people were more enamored with Fultz and Lonzo Ball. He wasn’t as flashy as Ball, and Fultz put up much better numbers on a bad team. After missing his first eight games at Duke with a foot sprain, it took Tatum time to adjust to the college game. As the season went on, he got more comfortable, and started to show off one of the most polished offensive games in college basketball.

Tatum Dunk

Ainge has a track record of drafting long, athletic players whose offense needs work. After moving from one to three in the draft, the choice came down to Tatum, or Kansas star Josh Jackson. He picked Tatum, and immediately added a potent scorer to the team. While he certainly has holes in his game, Tatum proved he was every bit as talented on offense as advertised. He torched defenses with midrange jumpers and savvy moves around the basket throughout Summer League play. His outside shot needs work, but he has been able to knock them down when left open. While the numbers have dipped in the preseason, his game is drawing rave reviews from Boston royalty:

Tatum does have a similar build and offensive game to a young Paul Pierce. He’s not the most athletic, but his basketball IQ is through the roof. The typical rookie mistakes have, and will, happen, but his maturity will give him an advantage on the competition. He has also shown a willingness to compete on the boards and the ability to defend multiple positions.

With Marcus Morris expected to miss time to start the season, Tatum will be thrust into a starting role. With a potential starting lineup of Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, Tatum, and Al Horford, the third pick in the draft will need to contribute right away. Starting on a team with high expectations may seem overwhelming, but this situation is ideal for Tatum. With Irving and Hayward garnering most of the defensive attention, he will have plenty of open shots on offense. The positive strides on defense will be what the starting unit needs from him. If he can keep guards in front of him and execute switches, any offense he can produce is icing on the cake.

EXPECTATIONS FOR TATUM

Expectations are always high for a top-three pick, but expectations might be even higher for Tatum. He and Fultz will always be linked after the trade, and he will have to live up to the expectations of a number one pick. He has shown that he has the skill, the drive, and the mentality to be a winner. Tatum may not be the pick Celtics fans wanted at first, but he is here and ready to help this team win. Just ask Horford:

2017-2018 Boston Celtics

FIVE BOLD PREDICTIONS FOR THE 2017-2018 BOSTON CELTICS

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The Boston Celtics are officially ready for the 2017-2018 regular season. Training camp and four preseason games are in the books. Roles are being defined and the chemistry is on the rise. In honor of Zach Lowe’s annual NBA predictions column, here are five bold predictions for the upcoming Celtics season!

Aron Baynes

ARON BAYNES WILL BE A MORE IMPORTANT ADDITION THAN MARCUS MORRIS

Baynes has been a revelation in the preseason. Before suffering a hyperextended left knee against the 76ers, he had been a pleasant surprise for the C’s. His stats, eight points and a little over four rebounds in 14 minutes/game, won’t jump off the page, but his impact on the floor is undeniable. He has crashed the offensive class, set thunderous screens, and been dynamic in the pick-and-pop midrange game. More than anything, though, he has brought a toughness and physicality that the Celtics haven’t had since the Garnett-Perkins era. Baynes can battle with the more bruising centers, allowing Al Horford to slide over to the power forward spot. He can become the defensive anchor that Boston has needed for years. Morris will definitely put up bigger numbers, but Baynes’ toughness and work ethic will land him a spot in the hearts of all Boston fans.

Kyrie Irving

THE CELTICS WILL ONLY HAVE ONE PLAYER AVERAGE 20+ PPG

The Boston offense has looked downright destructive throughout the preseason. When their “Big Three” of Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Horford play, the ball movement, spacing, and shooting dismantles opposing defenses. Kyrie’s penetration opens up shooters around the floor, Horford’s three-point shooting creates even more driving lanes, and Hayward’s ability as a secondary ball handler fills in all the gaps. Add on the offensive talents of Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Terry Rozier, and Marcus Smart and there should never be a night where the team’s offense hits a wall. But given how many options there actually are, it’s hard to imagine anyone outside of Kyrie being able to consistently average 20+ points. There will certainly be nights when Hayward and Horford put up big numbers, but Kyrie will be the only one to eclipse 20+ points per game.

THE CELTICS WILL BE A TOP-15 REBOUNDING TEAM

Alright, I get it. I can already hear people grumbling under their breathe about the incredible heat coming off of this prediction. But is it all that crazy? The Celtics still don’t have one player that can average double-digit rebounds, that hasn’t changed. The strength of this team will be gang-rebounding. Baynes will do his part to clean up the glass when he gets minutes. Tatum and Brown are both athletic enough to grab five rebounds/game with enough court time. Rozier and Smart are two of the league’s best rebounding guards. There will be nights when the Celtics gets bodied on the boards, but don’t be surprised when they finish in the top half of the league in rebounding at the season’s end.

Brad Stevens

BRAD STEVENS FINALLY WINS COACH OF THE YEAR

The hype around Brad Stevens has been steadily growing since he came into the league. His after-timeout plays are already the stuff of legends. Stevens has had an argument for COY in years past just based on how much he got out of the limited talent he had to work with. This year will be different, though. If he can meld all of these new players and manage the egos of multiple All-Stars, something he hasn’t had to do before, then his case for COY should be unmatched. Add on a trip back to the Eastern Conference Finals, or beyond, and he becomes a lock.

THE CELTICS WILL HIT THE OVER FOR THEIR WIN TOTAL

The annual Over/Under win projections for the 2017-2018 NBA season were released a few weeks ago. The Celtics are projected to be first in the Eastern Conference with 56.5 wins, three wins above the Cleveland Cavaliers. After looking ahead of schedule with their chemistry and continuity on the court, they will exceed expectations. The Celtics will win 58 games and come in fourth for best record behind Golden State, Houston, and San Antonio.

TERRY ROZIER

TERRY ROZIER BEGS FOR MORE MINUTES

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Coming into the 2017-2018 season, the Boston Celtics had a lot of uncertainty. With only four players remaining from last year’s team, the depth and chemistry were gone. Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward added top-notch talent, but there were plenty of question marks, especially with the bench. Flash forward to the preseason and Terry Rozier is starting to destroy some of those question marks. Dynamic on both ends of the floor, Rozier has quickly proven to everyone that he has taken a big leap forward.

These numbers speak for themselves. Rozier’s decision making has been dialed in so far this year. Regardless of the small sample size, he has shined anytime he has gotten minutes. He knocks down outside shots and finishes at the rim, something that had been a problem for him in years past. Rozier has stepped up as a play maker, getting into the paint and finding shooters. He is playing under control, and when he can avoid pin-balling his way through the lane and throwing up a wild shot, he can become a real asset to a young bench group.

Rozier has joined this year’s team as a more capable shooter and a grind-it-out, lead-by-example player. He’s even bringing down rebounds in a more explosive fashion, which is hard to believe given his track record. His improvement has already garnered the attention of both his coach, who talked about his abilities on the defensive end, and Jaylen Brown:

Expectations for Rozier

While calling Rozier one of the best guards in the league may be a slight exaggeration, his ceiling is very high. Terry has positioned himself to be one of the premier reserve guards in the league with his improvement. Think about Cory Joseph with the Toronto Raptors. He took time to mature and solidify his game, but now is one of the best backup point guards around. Rozier has the potential to be an above average defender, offensive spark plug off the bench, and a capable shooter. With Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder gone, Rozier and Marcus Smart, another backup guard with something to prove, will need to step up in a big way.

Terry must take what he learned from the veterans on last year’s team and put it into action. A lot of responsibility will fall on him to run the second unit, and his maturity will be tested. The opportunity will be there. Irving and Brown will need to rest, and Rozier has a firm grasp on those minutes after his stellar preseason. His rebounding will be an undervalued asset for a team in need of it. Consistency will be the challenge for Rozier after his up-and-down 2016-2017 season, but the preseason has been encouraging. For this team to succeed Rozier will need to be a factor. With the inexperience of the bench, he will need to carry the bench when younger players like Jayson Tatum are hitting the rookie wall. The expectations will be higher, but Rozier looks like her is ready to meet them.