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Boston Celtics’ Ups and Downs – Week 9

For the first time since the opening week of the season, there wasn’t a ton to like about the Celtics’ play. They went 2-2, which isn’t terrible, but it was more about who/how they lost. A blowout to the lowly Bulls and a loss at home against the shorthanded Jazz left a bad taste in your mouth, and wins over Denver and Memphis weren’t convincing enough to cure that. The Celtics are working through one of the most grueling parts of their schedule. Fatigue has played a big factor, but Boston hasn’t done a good enough job working through it. The next few weeks will tell us a lot about this team, but until then, lets check out some Ups/Downs from Week 9 of Celtics’ action.

The Downs

WE ARE SWITCHING THINGS UP THIS WEEK PEOPLE

The Celtics’ Bench Is Regressing to the Mean

During Boston’s 16-game winning streak, team defense and grittiness covered up some of the offensive deficiencies of the bench. In the last few weeks, though, those issues became more glaring. With Marcus Morris sidelined with more knee soreness, the Celtics’ bench has been even less effective than usual. As of Dec. 17, the Boston bench is ranked 23rd in scoring (30.4) and dead last in field goal percentage (37.4 percent). The bench is streaky and can get hot, especially at home, but the Celtics need a more consistent effort on the offensive end. Brad Stevens may need to think about switching up his rotations to avoid such devastating droughts.

Missing Parts Make the Machine Slow Down

During the Stevens era in Boston, the Celtics have run like a machine. With no transcendent talent prior to this year, you could swap personnel without too much going wrong. But adding Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward cost the Celtics some depth, and replacing All-Stars with rookies makes for a very obvious drop-off in talent. When Kyrie misses time, Boston struggles to make up that gap. We saw that in a loss to the Bulls last Monday. When everyone is healthy, this team is dangerous. But take out a few key pieces, and the high-powered machine starts to look like a beat-up toaster you found at a garage sale.

Rebounding Has Become an Issue, Again

After being a terrible rebounding team last season, the Celtics started this year’s campaign as one of the better rebounding teams in the league. Aron Baynes, Daniel Theis, and some great rebounding guards limited second-chance points and cleaned up defensive possessions. Through November the Celtics ranked in the top-10 in rebounding. Over nine games in December they rank 23rd. Boston doesn’t need to win the rebounding battle every game to win, but they do need to keep it close. The Celtics got out rebounded by at least 18 in two out of the four games last week, and that won’t cut it.

The Ups

The Celtics Don’t Stay Down

With the exception of the first two games of the season, the Celtics have not lost back-to-back games all season. With the recent stretch of, lets say, not so pleasant play, Boston has found a way to bounce back after each loss. A team this young could allow bad losses to turn into losing streaks, but thus far the Celtics have been able to compartmentalize ugly performances and stop any negative momentum.

FINAL: BOS 102, MEM 93

The Celtics have won each of their last 6 games directly following a loss

— Celtics Stats (@celtics_stats) December 17, 2017

Shane Larkin Remains a Quality Backup

With Morris missing extended time, the Celtics were looking for some extra pop off the bench. Larkin has been a pleasant surprise this season and, much like a change-of-pace back in football, makes the most of his limited opportunities. Larkin competes on the defensive end, runs the pick-and-roll well, and has shown the ability to add a scoring punch off the deep bench. His 14 points on 6-6 shooting against Denver really helped turn the tides in Boston’s favor.

The Youngsters Bounce Back/Show What They Can Do

Both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum bounced back from some less than ideal play this week. Brown had a huge 26 points (9-12 from the field, 3-4 3PT) against Denver, and Tatum put up quality numbers after lack luster games against Chicago and Utah. Brown has been a bit too inconsistent so far this season, but Tatum shows real maturity in putting poor performances behind him.

Horford said most rookie struggle to respond when things go poorly. With Jayson Tatum, he said, it's the opposite: https://t.co/b6UcWsjGoa

— Jay King (@ByJayKing) December 17, 2017

YOUNG C’S CAN SPRINT, BUT NBA IS A MARATHON

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REGRESSION TO THE MEAN

After a blazing hot start to the season, the Celtics have come back down to earth a bit in the month of December. Having lost just two games in both October (first 2 games of season) and November, they’ve hit that mark in December less than two weeks in. Not long ago, it seemed like this team might not lose another game. Now, the reality of the long haul that is an NBA season is starting to set in, as the Celtics try to navigate injuries, tough stretches of the schedule, and players hitting potential walls. The latter is highly characteristic of youthful players, in which the C’s have many.

LONG SEASON

That reality smacked everyone in the face after a blowout loss to the then 5-20 Bulls. Even rookie sensation Jayson Tatum had a truly poor all-around game for seemingly the first time in his career. In the next game against the Nuggets, the C’s gave up a season high 118 points. Tatum did bounce back with the swagger of a vet, however, contributing in his uniquely important role for a rookie. Back to his usual self, he made selective but big plays all game long, and they found a way to win. Kyrie also once again showed what he can do in the clutch. Still, you have to wonder how far a team can go relying on late-game heroics with such consistency.

This team has fought through all kinds of adversity already at this point in the season and come out on top. One of the biggest things they haven’t been through is tough stretches with multiple losses. The team started the season in a sprint, but are going to get a tough lesson that a NBA season is a marathon by the end of the season. Losing is something these guys haven’t done much together as a collective. It will happen more than it has, and it will be the biggest test they face yet.

INJURY BUG

Obviously Gordon Hayward has missed all but 5 minutes of the season. Fortunately, his surgery went well, and recovery sounds ahead of schedule. He got to shed his walking boot this week. There are still no expectations for him playing this season, but it would be great to see him get some game action so he can hit the offseason full steam. It doesn’t need to be much, but it would be good for the future if he is 100%.

Paul George’s recovery from an equally gruesome injury is the ideal model. He was brought back in a limited role, playing about 15 minutes a game and sitting out back-to-backs. He appeared in just 6 games at the end of the season, but came back and had his best year statistically to that point the next season. George attributed much of his success to already having his confidence from getting game action the previous year. If Gordon does miss the remainder of the regular season, I wouldn’t expect him to be thrust into playoff action, even if he is 100%.

Us C’s fans were spoiled by the hot start, but it turns out these guys aren’t quite superhuman. They have been plagued with injuries all season, and it might finally be catching up to them. Kyrie has missed time here and there. Horford sat out against the Nuggets after banging knees in the Bulls game. The worst news comes from a recurring issue, with Marcus Morris expected to miss extended time due to the knee that has kept him out of several contests.

TOUGH MONTH

Before this season, there were more back-to-backs, but also more 2 and 3 day breaks. Now, teams are playing almost every other night in an attempt to lessen back-to-backs. Kyrie has talked about the difference in the grind this year, and didn’t have many good things to say about it. Less than a month into the season, he was talking about everyone already being banged up.

When the team finally got a 2 day break going into the 76ers game, everyone from players to staff raved as if it was a gift from God. Having played almost every other day since the season started, the Celtics could use a break. Unfortunately, things will get worse before they get better. They have two back-to-backs before Christmas and another right after before finally getting another rare two-day break.

CRY NOW, LAUGH LATER

Take that gift out and that’s over two straight months of playing every other night, littered with multiple back-to-backs. If the Bulls game was any indication, it is finally starting to catch up to them. For literally the first time all season, the Celtics never seemed to be fully in the fight. After all the comeback victories this team has put together in the young season, it never felt like they were going to go on a run against one of the leagues’ worst teams. They came out flat, and that’s how they finished.

The C’s could be in for a couple more of those flat games, as the schedule ramps up in a time where they desperately need some extended off time. The schedule does lighten up a bit in the new year, especially after the all-star break. Even if it results in some mid-season woes, this team is trying to make a deep playoff run. The regular season schedule will play in their favor in the long-term. They will get the tough stretches out-of-the-way early. They won’t have as many games later in the season, but they will be playing higher quality opponents. The annual road trip out west should be a good opportunity to get ready for the playoffs. More practice time ahead of the postseason will be key as well.

Boston Celtics’ Ups and Downs – Week 8

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Winning weeks have become commonplace for the Celtics now. Boston rounded out a 4-1 home stand with convincing wins over Milwaukee and Dallas. A loss in San Antonio on national TV ended a nice four-game win streak, but the Celtics bounced back to beat Detroit on Sunday afternoon. There are lots to love about the Celtics right now, so let’s take a look at some Ups and Downs from Week 8 action.

The Ups

Masked Kyrie Continues to Roll

Kyrie may have been happy to finally get rid of the mask against Detroit on Sunday, but he certainly can’t be happier with the roll he has been on since wearing it. Kyrie has upped his efficiency and been on a scoring tear since donning the mask on Nov. 14. The trend continued this past week. Kyrie averaged 26.7 points in four games last week, and, with the exception of a tough match-up against Avery Bradley on Sunday, shot over 54 percent from the field in each game. Although a game-tying three rimmed out against the Spurs, Kyrie has been dynamic on the offensive end and has done everything the Celtics need of him.

Al Horford, Celtics’ Renaissance Man

A common complaint from Celtics fans about Horford is that he doesn’t always have the biggest impact on the offensive end. He can be a reluctant scorer and defer to others more often than he should. But what Horford does better than anyone on the Celtics is find balance in his game. If the team needs him to score the ball, he will, like when he dropped 27 on the Bucks in October. If everyone else is in a groove offensively, Horford has no problem sharing the ball and dishing out a career-high 11 assists.

Plenty of people will say that Kyrie unlocked Horford. In reality, Horford’s complete game unlocks and enhances the play of all of those around him. His playmaking ability frees up Kyrie to score at will. His defense, along with Aron Baynes, allows perimeter players to gamble with assurance that they have help in the paint. Horford’s game is a quiet one and can go overlooked, but take him off this team and you will quickly realize his value.

Jayson Tatum Continues to Impress

Ask any basketball media member, NBA expert, or casual fan, and 99 percent of them will say they never expected this level of play from Tatum. If it weren’t for Ben Simmons, Tatum would be the favorite for Rookie of the Year. Tatum has had many jaw dropping stats this season. He’s leading the NBA in three-point percentage (52.3 percent) and has scored in double digits for 16 straight games. As if being a major contributor on the team with the league’s best record at 19-years old wasn’t enough, Tatum is showing he’s more than capable of performing under pressure.

Tatum has become one of the most effective fourth quarter players on the Celtics. He’s averaging 4.1 points per game in the fourth quarter, his most in any quarter. While some fans may not be impressed, considering Isaiah Thomas averaged double digits in the fourth last season, Tatum’s shooting splits will surely drive the point home. He’s shooting 66.7 percent from the field, 71.4 percent from beyond the arc, and 91 percent from the free throw line. Tatum hasn’t been relied upon to score in volumes late in games, but it probably wouldn’t hurt to give him a few more chances.

Kyrie Irving on clutch Jayson Tatum: "Some people have it and some people don’t. It’s just as simple as that. I think he’s pretty much shown that he can play, as people say, with the big boys at the end of the game." pic.twitter.com/i5yNtXewc3

— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) December 11, 2017

The Downs

Avery Bradley, Known Kyrie Stopper

Celtics fans are familiar with Bradley’s ability to harass Kyrie. In the past Boston loved it, but now not so much. This is more of a long-term concern, but nonetheless something to keep an eye out for. In two games against Bradley and the Pistons, Kyrie averaged just 17 points on 36 percent shooting. If the Celtics find themselves with a playoff match-up against Detroit, Bradley’s defense could become a factor. Will it be enough to turn the tides in Detroit’s favor? Most likely not. But it could make things a lot more difficult than they have to be.

Possible Shooting Slump?

The Celtics were riding a hot streak on offense coming into last week’s play. In four games against Indiana, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Phoenix, Boston shot at least 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range. They continued that trend against Milwaukee to start the week, then dropped off in the final three games. Such a small sample size could be nothing to worry about, but it’s worth monitoring. The Celtics had been making their way up the league ranks in team offense over the past few weeks. Consistency in that regard will be important in keeping them atop the Eastern Conference.

Jaylen Brown’s Decision Making

With Horford, Marcus Smart, and Terry Rozier on the team, Brown’s lack of playmaking isn’t too much of a concern. What is a concern, thought, is Brown’s decision-making. Brown is always going to be one of the more athletic players on the floor. He can get to the rim at will, but sometimes that has become a problem. Whether trying to make a move 1-on-1, or trying to bully his way through multiple defenders, Brown has a tendency to force things. That leads to bad shots and turnovers. If he lets the game come to him he should be fine, but some development in that area would be nice.

Does Jayson Tatum Have a Shot at Winning Rookie of the Year?

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The NBA Rookie of the Year race has everyone excited this year. Although there is some stiff competition, Jayson Tatum has been quite efficient on both sides of the ball thus far. Does he have shot at winning? Let’s discuss:

Tatum’s Smooth Transition

Celtics’ small forward Jayson Tatum has been nothing short of impressive. Coming out of Duke as the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, he averages 14 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. This kid is also leading the league in three-point percentage at 51.9 — as a rookie. His ability to get to the hoop, shoot the mid range and even the three has his teammates in awe. Kyrie Irving admits to being a fan since Tatum was a sophomore in high school. Al Horford also can’t help but praise his rookie. He refers to Tatum’s level of play on offense AND defense as one of the best he’s seen from a first year player. No issues with transitioning over here!

Stiff Competition

I think we can all agree that this year’s NBA rookie class has an insane amount of talent. Let’s take a look at some of the other top performing rookies from around the league:

Ben Simmons of the 76ers averages 18 points, 7.1 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game. Just last week he put up 31 points and had 18 rebounds against the Wizards. He’s shooting 50% from the floor.
Utah’s Donovan Mitchell has found his stride and is averaging 17.2 points per game. He became the first rookie since Blake Griffin in 2011 to score 40+ points in a game. He’s shooting 53.3% from the floor so far in December.
Kyle Kuzma, the unlikely breakout star of the Lakers, has outplayed fellow rookie Lonzo Ball. He averages 16.8 points and 6.5 rebounds. He was the Western Conference Rookie of the Month in November.
Dennis Smith Jr. of the Dallas Mavericks averages 14.4 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds a game. His style of play has even garnered praise from LeBron James.

So Who Wins?

Jayson Tatum deserves the nod. His overall season stats are modest but admirable, while the other rooks have some work to do. Tatum is the only one shooting 50% or more from the floor AND from three. Mitchell is right there with him when it comes to free throws, with both players shooting roughly 82%. But other than that, Tatum is the clear front-runner so far if we’re going to look at the numbers. Just last night he put up 17 points and 10 rebounds in the win against the Mavs. Unfortunately, there are people who already want to give the nod Simmons. This is mainly due to how ‘The Process’ has revived the 76ers, with him being a crucial part of it.

My gripe: Ben Simmons is technically not a rookie, so everyone needs to take him out of the conversation. It’s not our fault he missed his first season due to a foot injury. No do-overs allowed.

But if you’re going to look outside of Tatum, keep an eye on Donovan Mitchell. His performance has helped to revive the Jazz since Gordon Hayward’s departure. He’ll continue to excite.

Really though, you should just root for Tatum. If he continues to play at this level, he’ll have Simmons’s bandwagoners jumping ship.

IT’S KYRIE’S WORLD, WE’RE JUST LIVING IN IT

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DANCING TO A DIFFERENT BEAT

“I see you. I see everyone. More than just your physical presence, I see your energy. I feel it. I know it.”

These were some of the words spoken by Kyrie, to the people at the Thanksgiving meal for the Boston Center for Youth & Families. I think it is safe to say Kyrie Irving has a different focus than most people. In interviews, there is a sense that he is on a completely different page than the reporters asking the questions. It makes for occasionally odd answers to simple questions. Most people write it off as weird, but he just might be on to something. After all, his focus has taken him to heights not many human beings can even fathom.

Still, Kyrie has been known to say some outlandish things. For instance, when he challenged the dimensions of the earth. Knowing Kyrie has never been afraid to challenge ideas and provoke thought, I wondered if there was an ulterior motive to his viewpoint.

“..literally the whole intent was just to open up for people to do their own research. That was the only intent. It wasn’t to, OK, let me figure out and go against science. Let me go against what I’ve been told and what’s right and all this stuff. It was just literally with the intent of just wake up and do your own research instead of actually assuming something that’s been told to you.” -Irving on Geno Auriemma’s podcast

After that conversation, I truly believe Kyrie just wanted to challenge something that was obviously against the grain. He wanted to stir things up, just to show people that it’s okay to question something. Further, his point is that it’s important to question everything by doing your own research. It’s actually a good lesson, albeit probably not the best way to get the message across. But that’s Kyrie, always wanting to be epic.

CLUTCH KYRIE

Speaking of epic, he’s done some amazing things on the court already in his young career. The dagger stepback 3 in game 7 of the 2016 Finals immediately comes to mind. This year for the Celtics, he’s become as good a closer as Isaiah Thomas was last season. That’s saying something considering IT earned the nickname, King In The Fourth, after averaging nearly 10 points in the 4th quarter alone. Kyrie is proving he can step up for the big moments at the end of the game, what he calls “winning time.”

And man, does he love to win. Kyrie’s clutch stats this season(+/- 5 in last 5 min) are elite. Despite falling outside the top 20 in total clutch time minutes, he is second only to old pal Lebron James, in both FGM & FGA in the clutch. He has shot just one less shot than Lebron, and has one less make, sitting at 26/43. That’s over 60% in clutch time minutes for Kyrie. Out of players with more than 15 attempts in clutch time, he is behind only Lebron & Dion Waiters by a hair. Also, the man with the highest FG% in clutch time (min 15 attempts) in teammate and ultra-impressive rookie, Jayson Tatum. Tatum is sitting at 63.2%. Jaylen Brown recently dubbed Kyrie, Mr. 4th Quarter, but Mr. Clutch might be more accurate.

KYRIE WINNING ON MVP LEVEL

I mentioned in a previous article that Kyrie is going to need to play at an MVP level for this team to do anything special this year; especially in the absence of Hayward. Not a month into the season, he was starting to get MVP chants in buildings across the league. In the Garden, they were still waiting for the right time. Kyrie has been great, but most Celtics fans would agree that Al Horford has been the real MVP of the Celtics this season.

Sensing the pressure to perform up to what mainstream media was ready to call him, an MVP candidate, Kyrie had his first takeover game against the Mavericks. He poured in 47 points in an OT game, in which every last one was needed. Since then, he has taken his game to another level, bringing up his shooting percentages, and improving his looks. Most importantly, he is taking over the game in the clutch, as discussed above. I hate to sound like a broken record, but what he is doing to close out games really can’t be overstated.

KYRIE BRINGS WHAT GAME NEEDS

My favorite quote about Kyrie was made by Brian Scalabrine. He said “Kyrie brings what the game needs.” This is true over the course of almost the entire game. If you ask me, it goes back to him saying he can feel energy. He just knows what he needs to infuse in the game, at any given time, to make his presence felt. It might be scoring 47 some nights, but it usually won’t be.

Most of the time, we see flashes throughout the game of his scoring. He times this perfectly, waiting to attack until the offense is sputtering a bit. Sensing this, he gets aggressive, and looks for his own shot to get the team back in the fight. He then falls back, tries to get his teammates involved, and waits for closing time to strike again.

We probably won’t see Kyrie completely dominate many games like he did against the Mavericks in the regular season. There will be times when he feels the need to be more aggressive, but he is showing he loves to play in the big moments, and almost waits for them to come around so he can take over. In the playoffs, every moment is big, so Kyrie will be playing up to match the moment.

NO PRESSURE

Brad Stevens stated in a recent interview that, “basketball isn’t real pressure” when compared to real life. It’s a game, and that’s how he approaches it. He wants to win, but it’s not life or death. Kyrie epitomizes this. He doesn’t feel pressure on the court. It’s all fun and games for him, and he wants to have more fun than everybody. That’s where his clutch gene comes from– a genuine, fearless excitement in his approach to win basketball games. After his 47 point outburst against the Mavericks, in which he made some big plays down the stretch, Kyrie was feeling himself.

“I don’t want to say the NBA is like playing in the park, but to me…”

His voice trails off as he shrugs his shoulders. When you watch him play, you know he’s telling the truth. The court is Kyrie’s world, and if you aren’t on his team, you’re just in the way. Never fear, he’ll evade the entire defense when necessary, as well as he evades a poorly worded question post game.

CALM & CONFIDENT

It really is amazing how calm and confident Kyrie is in the clutch. As a fan, I feel confident when he has the ball late, and the fate of the game is in his hands. It makes you wonder if we’ve been looking at Kyrie, the man, all wrong. Maybe he has it together more than any of us. He knows the naysayers will always be around, so he doesn’t care about the media. He knows at the end of the day they’ll have their own story, far removed from the picture he would paint, if only he had the brush. It makes sense.

What doesn’t make sense is a person who has a life full of problems being so confident and free in their craft, especially in crunch time. On the contrary; I would say Kyrie derives his in-game confidence from the real-life confidence he has in himself and his beliefs. He doesn’t care if you doubt him, or disagree with him. That’s the point. It’s okay to think differently, to be your own person. That’s the picture he’s been trying to paint, with every move in his life.

He’s even willing to throw himself into the spotlight and take criticism, whether it be for challenging science, or himself taking a step into the unknown in his career, and leave what most thought was a picture perfect situation; for most, sure, but not for Kyrie Irving. He paves his own path, and he’s going to keep pushing forward until he reaches the end of the earth. Or arrives right back where he started, depending on how you look at it.

Boston Celtics’ Ups and Downs – Week 7

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Just three games, all of which were in Boston, made a light week for the Celtics. A Monday night loss to Detroit, the second best team in the Eastern Conference, started the week on a sour note. The Celtics bounced back with two wins over the 76ers and Suns later in the week. Losses are starting to pop up more frequently for the C’s, but they are still beating the teams that they are supposed to beat. Let’s take a look at the Ups/Downs from Week 7 of Celtics basketball!

The Ups

Marcus Smart Is Finding His Form

Smart has been having a terrible shooting season. While his impact on the court has still been a net positive, the scoring numbers and empty shot attempts were a problem. But maybe things are starting to come around. A pep talk from Al Horford seemingly worked, and Smart has been a much better all around player since. In three games this past week, Smart averaged 13.6 points and seven assists on 52/53 percent shooting from the field and three-point line, respectively. The numbers won’t jump off the page, but this level of production is exactly what the Celtics need from Smart. Score when he can, take quality shots (he scored 41 points on just 25 shots), and run the offense for the second unit.

Aron Baynes Back in the Starting Lineup

The Celtics’ versatility is always going to be a plus. They have the ability to match-up with pretty much any lineup that an opponent throws at them. Moving Baynes back to the starting lineup had as much to do with who the Celtics were playing as anything else. Brad Stevens has not been shy about changing Baynes’ role to try to match him up with opposing bigs, but the numbers suggest Baynes should be starting regardless.

A starting unit with Baynes, Al Horford, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kyrie Irving has been their most used/best defensive lineup all season. A +11.5 net rating is the highest of any Celtics lineup with at least 30 minutes played, and their 90.4 defensive rating is near the top of the league for any lineup with more than 99 minutes played. Baynes anchors the defense and works the glass at an alarming rate. Boston plays better with Baynes in the starting lineup, and moving Marcus Morris to the bench for some extra scoring is an added bonus. #StartAronBaynes

Jaylen Brown Bounces Back

Brown had one of the worst games of his career against Philadelphia. He had just four points on 1-6 shooting, and a team-high four turnovers. He played just 22 minutes and had a plus/minus of -9, the only Celtics’ player in the negative. A performance like that could shake a players confidence, but Brown turned things around against the Suns. A 17-point outing tied him for second on the team in points, and his shooting splits (4-8 from the field, 3-5 3PT, 6-8 FT) were unusually efficient. Brown is young (21 yrs), but the Celtics need him to perform beyond his years. A bounce back outing like this is an encouraging sign.

The Downs

The Defense Is Starting to Slip for the Celtics

Before you jump down my throat, the Celtics are still first in the league in defensive rating (98.9). But the team’s defense has been trending in the wrong direction since the 16-game winning streak ended. In five games after losing to Miami, the Celtics are ranked 16th in defensive rating at 108.2. The offense has been getting much better, but to be elite the Celtics still need to defend at a high level. They aren’t a good enough offensive team to let their defense slip, so the recent trend is troublesome.

https://twitter.com/HPbasketball/status/937059149950488576

Too Many Turnovers

The Celtics are normally pretty good at taking care of the ball. They average the seventh fewest turnovers per game (14.3). Against Detroit, turnovers were what cost Boston the game. Seventeen turnovers led to 25 points for the Pistons. The turnovers also allowed Detroit to take eight more shots than the Celtics. Clean up some of those turnovers and maybe Boston gets the win.

Free Throws, Again

Do I even need to say anything at this point? Boston shot just 57.1 percent from the free throw line against Detroit. THEY MISSED NINE FREE THROWS! That’s basically the difference in the game. Over the last three games the Celtics are shooting 71.9 percent from the free throw line. That ranks them 25th in the league. Boston can’t afford to leave a handful of points at the line each game. It says a lot when Andre Drummond can knock down more late-game free throws than your team can.

Defensive Warrior Marcus Smart Overcomes Offensive Struggles

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You ever yell at the TV when Marcus Smart had the ball in his hands? If you said no, you’re lying. How do I know? Simple: I watch every game, and I know for a fact that Smart’s performance early on was frustrating to watch. I mean, players go through slumps and that’s normal. Smart’s lack of offensive production had Celtics fans around the world worried.

Offensive Woes

The explosive production of the first unit wasn’t enough to make us disregard what was going on with Smart. After returning from an ankle injury, his offensive production was less than satisfactory. With the exception of a couple of games in which he scored 14 and 16 points, he shot poorly for the majority of November. The lowest points scored this season were against Golden State, where he went 0-7 with 1 point and 0-3 from three-point range. His struggles at the free throw line were also hard to miss, as he shot 56% from the line in October. He was able to improve it to 79% in November, but it still seemed as though he was missing those shots when they mattered the most.

Defensive Dominance

Smart’s defensive prowess should not go unnoticed. Although he only had 1 point in the game against Golden State, his plus/minus was an incredible +15. His aggressiveness on defense kept the Celtics in the game, allowing for a crucial 19-2 run late in the third quarter. Oh, and let’s not forget his willingness to sacrifice his body when necessary. This guy never hesitates when it comes to drawing the charge or going after a loose ball. Another great attribute of Smart’s is his defensive awareness. The fouls he is willing to give are ‘smart’ ones, as he refuses to give up that easy basket. Clutch defensive play in the fourth quarter has been his M.O. Who wouldn’t want a guy like this on their team?

Building His Confidence

The offensive reemergence of Marcus Smart began on November 25. The Celtics squared off against the Pacers, a very good offensive team that was coming in with a 5-game win streak. The Cs won the game 108-98 and Smart contributed 15 points, going 7-8 with 6 rebounds and 5 assists. He then followed it up with a season-high 23 points in the loss against the Pistons, shooting 6-9 from three-point range. Working theory: Smart’s turn around came after his bench talk with Al Horford. It seems valid, considering the conversation occurred the game before his performance in Indiana. Hopefully Smart can get back to his college form, where he averaged 16.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists at Oklahoma State.

Smart still has some work to do, but he’ll get there. Celtics fans everywhere are rooting for you Marcus! Stay on the grind!

Brad Stevens Named Coach of the Month

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Brad Stevens has been named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month. According the nba.com, “The fifth-year Celtics coach guided his squad to a league-best 19-4 record during the first month and a half of the 2017-18 season, despite dealing with a plethora of unexpected obstacles”.

Some notes:

Brad and the team overcame the Gordon Hayward injury (so far).
They added 10 new players during the offseason.
The team’s margin of Victory is 7 point per game (teamrankings.com).
The team’s opponents points per game is first in the league (teamrankings.com).
Brad and the Celtics produced a 16 game win streak.

To top it all off, Wednesday (11/29) was the first time that the Celtics made it into their Waltham practices facility in over a month (nbcsports.com). That makes this accomplishment even more impressive. Brad coached through film, during games, on buses, on visitor practices courts – but without dedicated time at home. In my opinion, that makes his revisions and iterations even more unique.

Congratulations, Brad and the Celtics.

Boston Celtics’ Ups and Downs – Week 6

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Week six of the NBA season was a busy one for the Celtics. A four-game week saw another impressive come-from-behind win in Dallas, a gritty victory on the road in Indiana with a depleted roster, and the unfortunate end to one of the more improbable win streaks in the league. The Celtics have bounced back from the end of the streak with two straight wins, but they need to clean some things up if they want to start another winning streak. Let’s jump in and check out the Ups/Downs!

The Ups

Aggressive Al Is Not so Average

Al Horford’s shooting came back to earth after a scorching week. And with the drop in efficiency, his scoring numbers decreased as well. In three games against Dallas, Miami, and Orlando, Horford had just 15 points on 6-20 shooting. But, in typical Horford style, he stepped it up against Indiana when it was needed.

With Jaylen Brown (personal) and Marcus Morris (rest) inactive against the Pacers, Horford upped his aggression on the offensive end and gave the Celtics some much-needed points. He knocked down threes and roasted defenders with some Olajuwon-esque post moves to the tune of 21 points on 8-15 shooting, his most shots in a single game this season. Horford will undoubtedly give what the game needs from him, but a more aggressive Al is never a bad thing.

A More Efficient, and Dangerous, Kyrie

Over the first 17 games, Kyrie shot over 50 percent from the field just four times. He shot at least 50 percent from the field in all four games this past week. Chalk it up to early season struggles or the weight of a franchise on your shoulders, but Kyrie has certainly turned his shooting numbers around. Kyrie messed around and shot 59.5 percent from the field this week, an even more impressive stat considering both the difficulty and volume of shots that he takes. A 47-piece in the overtime win against Dallas highlighted the week, but Kyrie getting more comfortable in the offense should have Celtics’ fans drooling.

Improved Play from Celtics’ Bench

The Celtics’ bench were atrocious coming into this week. Ranked near the bottom of the league in bench points, Boston was in need of a few sparks. Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart weren’t shooting well, but the Boston reserves turned it around. Rozier decided to never miss a shot again, scoring 40 points on 15-20 shooting over the past two games. Smart found a shooting rhythm against Indiana after being inserted into the starting lineup. Semi Ojeleye has been more aggressive on offense and Aron Baynes has proven to be a very capable bench scorer. Consistency is key, and with five straight games in Boston, hopefully the second unit can find their groove.

The Downs

Slow Starts Are Starting to Catch up to the Celtics

To be fair, the Celtics have been abnormally good at coming back from early, or late, deficits. They did it against the Mavericks and Pacers this week alone. But how long can that last? Their winning streak ended against Miami when they couldn’t dig themselves out of a tough start, and you have to imagine that they won’t be able to keep up their heroics all season. The comebacks are entertaining, but I have thought Brad Stevens would much rather just play well for the whole game instead.

The Celtics Need to Shoot Better (Duh)

Despite having the best record in the league to date, the Celtics are ranked 27th in field goal percentage. The Celtics aren’t the Golden State Warriors. They can’t sleepwalk through half of a game and then just flip the switch and score a million points. Their comebacks have been because of their defense. If the defense starts to slip, these comebacks will be fewer and farther between. This team will be scary when their shots start to fall, they just need to get their first.

Free Throws, Free Throws, Free Throws

I’m going to keep harping on this, mainly because this is my weekly column AND I WILL WRITE ABOUT WHATEVER I WANT TO WRITE ABOUT, DAD! Wait, sorry that got away from me a little bit there. Regardless, it fills me with rage to watch the Celtics miss free throws. They have moved up to 14th in the league in free throw percentage, but they are still leaving too many points at the charity stripe.

Celtics’ Offense Catches Fire in Blowout Win over Orlando

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Despite the recently ended 16-game winning streak, the Celtics have not been a good offensive team. Their defense is the talk of the town, while their offense has been just good enough to get by. But last night, the Celtics fixed some of the problems that had been ailing them over the past few games. Boston got off to a fast start, got back to moving the ball, and were able to get open shots that actually dropped. It also didn’t hurt that they played the Magic, a team they have dominated at home in recent times.

The Celtics have won their 14th consecutive home game against the Magic dating back to Jan. 17, 2011

— Celtics Stats (@celtics_stats) November 25, 2017

Celtics Explode out of the Gates

Toward the end of the winning streak, the Celtics were getting off to horrible offensive starts. They had to dig themselves out of giant deficits, mainly because they weren’t playing efficient offense and weren’t knocking down shots. Back on the TD Garden floor against Orlando, the Celtics had no trouble getting the offense going. The C’s shot 68.2 percent from the field in the first quarter and hit 7-of-12 threes. The shooting barely cooled off in the second quarter and the Celtics hung 73 points on Orlando, a season-high for any half. The game was over at halftime, and this time it was because of a high powered offense, not a stifling defense.

Brad Stevens has always preached ball movement on the offensive end. The Celtics have always been near the top of the league in assists and passes per game. In the past, Boston needed that ball movement to be put the ball in the hoop. Even then, their lack of top-tier talent lead to some ugly offensive basketball. With offensive experts like Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum, the Celtics can sometimes get away with less ball movement and just rely on the isolation games of such advanced scorers. But that doesn’t lead to an efficient offense. We got a glimpse against Orlando of what the Celtics can be when they move the ball and get back to the style of play in which a Brad Stevens’ coached team excels.

Al Horford, a Key to the Offense

Stevens may have found something in the way they played in the first quarter against the Magic. The offense ran through Al Horford to start the game, and that generated open looks and ball movement. Horford had seven (SEVEN!!!) assists in the first quarter and really got everyone in a groove early on. Horford finished with just five points, but his 10 assists were a team-high by a mile. Horford is a smart, capable passer. He makes the correct reads more often than not and finds the scorer. It may behoove Stevens to make more of an effort to allow the offense to run through Horford early in games to increase ball movement and avoid offensive droughts.

Terry Rozier Leads an Energized Celtics Bench

As the old NBA idiom goes, role players and rookies always play better at home. Tatum has proved that he plays well anywhere, but the Celtics bench had been a problem on the recent road trip. The Celtics’ bench ranks 22nd in scoring (29.7pts/game) on some pretty horrendous shooting. They got just 22.3 points per game over the last three away games. Boston needs production from their bench, and Rozier stepped up against Orlando. A career-high 23 points on 8-11 shooting led the Celtics bench. You can’t expect 20+ points off the bench from players like Rozier and Marcus Smart, but they will need to be able to bridge the gap and give the starters a break without giving away leads or losing ground.

Jaylen Brown Is Playing like a Man Possessed

The night after losing his best friend, Jaylen Brown had a career night against the Golden State Warriors. Since that game, Brown has been the second best player on the Celtics and has taken his offensive game to another level. Since the passing of his friend, Brown is averaging 19.6 points on 53 percent shooting from the field and 52 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The shooting numbers aren’t sustainable, but Brown is playing with a different level of focus and a high level of confidence. This Celtics team needs a confident Jaylen Brown, and they have been getting it.

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