Tag: Boston Celtics

How Brad Stevens and a maniacal Marcus Smart have saved the Celtics defense

Marcus Smart’s fantastic start to the season is fueling the Celtic’s defense.

Count me as one of those people who thought the Celtics would be terrible after losing Al Horford. Kyrie Irving was their best scorer, sure. But Horford was their Swiss Army knife.

He defended, stretched the floor and, in some cases, would even guard the best player on the opposing team.  It’s rare that we see a 3&D big man scampering around the NBA, but Horford was exactly that for the Celtics.

Over his three seasons with Boston, he shot 38 percent from 3-point range, anchored their defense and spent time in May locking up Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo. He was a fulcrum offensively with his passing and screen setting. He constantly set the table for the team on both ends.

It’s not easy to find a guy who is a plus on offense, and who can guard Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo if you needed him to. It should be impossible not to take a step back after losing a player like that — especially when you replace him with a player like Enes Kanster.

No disrespect to Enes, but his most notable moment in the NBA might be this:

It’s reasonable to expect a big dip in defense, especially as the Celtics also lost a rim protector in Aron Baynes. But not only have the Celtics survived — they’re thriving. They’ve racked up eight straight wins and are sitting atop the East, and the defense has actually … improved.

Here’s how they’ve done it.

Brad Stevens has trusted Daniel Theis and Robert Williams

The Celtics 102.4 defensive rating so far ranks 8th in the league this season, but it’s a more stingy rating than they ever had through three seasons with Horford on the back end of their defense.

Part of the reason why, ironically enough, is that they haven’t played Horford’s theoretical replacement: Kanter. Kanter has been hurt — he played in the season opener against the 76ers and didn’t play again until last night’s game against the Mavericks.

His absence has allowed Daniel Theis and Robert Williams to blossom as a one-two punch at center. They’re averaging a combined 3.7 blocks per game so far this year. Brad Stevens is asking them to do what they’re comfortable doing — protecting the rim. So far, it’s working.

They’re leaning into it. Their top five most played lineups feature either Theis or Williams at center. Stevens will have to figure out how to get Kanter minutes without sacrificing their rim protection, but it’s a good problem to have.

Marcus Smart is a maniac

Smart just likes to terrorize things. Watching him on defense right now is an adventure, and Stevens has given him the green light to wreak havoc. It’s fun.

Dribbling around him is a no-go. Don’t do it. Just ask RJ Barrett what happens when you do.

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It’s not just that, though. He also willingly guards power forwards. That’s insane already. But that’s before even considering the fact that he’s actually good at it.

When they try to face up against him, he gets up underneath them and doesn’t allow them to put the ball down.

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He also stonewalls dudes in the post as a 6’4, 220-pound guard.

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That’s special stuff that you can’t really replicate with any one player. He’s been the Swiss Army knife that Horford was for them, but in guard form.

I literally cannot think of another guard that can do this. I’m also pretty sure that there isn’t one that actually WANTS to do this. Smart is just insane.

Just look at these numbers. So far, he’s forced 24 turnovers so far this season. He’s only committed eight of them himself. Players are shooting a mere 28.8% when being guarded by Smart this season. That’s a Defensive Player of the Year resume if I’ve ever seen one.

It’s tough to say whether the Celtics will keep this up on defense — especially as Kanter eases his way back into the lineup. It’s worth keeping an eye on, though.

Every special defense has a special player. Right now, Smart is looking like that guy in Boston.

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Boston’s hot start in context — what is the Celtics’ ceiling?

The Boston Celtics are arguably bound to reach the Eastern Conference Finals with the start they’ve had to the season.

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While the season may be far too young to draw any ironclad conclusions about how the title hunt for the NBA’s 30 franchises may look come April, one thing has become clear:

The Boston Celtics are for real.

Now, what “real” means in terms of postseason play is among the many things that haven’t been settled in terms of what we’ve seen so far from what many assumed to be a flawed roster — on paper — and which may yet prove to be one.

But much like how the roster looked on paper last season proved more akin to what was expected this season, and vice-versa, even the best analysts have been known to misread potential.

Last season, most of them fell for the allure of a star-powered lineup dominating the Atlantic Division, the East and maybe even the league as a whole. Now, more than a few Celtics fans are joining said analysts in scratching their collective heads and in a good way for a change.

At 8-1, the team sits squarely atop the league standings and barring a phenomenal game from Washington Wizards point guard Isaiah Thomas (who is still beloved in Boston) will likely expand that to a .900 record by Wednesday.

By the end of the week, the Celtics could easily bring their record to 12-1 after facing off against the depleted Golden State Warriors and struggling Sacramento Kings before they face a fairly tough stretch against the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets on the backside of their five-game West Coast road trip.

While a fair part of the last 15 years have been spent in rebuilding mode, four seasons over that span have mirrored the excellent start that Boston may have.

The 2017-18 Celtics began like a house on fire, winning 15 consecutive games after an 0-2 start and you’d have to hearken back to the Big Three era in Boston for the next such smoking start.

In 2009-10, the Celtics’ most heralded trio of the millennium got out to a similarly strong 8-1 record, though that actually was among the first signs of decline for that group when placed in a larger context.

The season prior, fresh off a championship win, Boston managed to jump off to a sizzling 27-2 start. In their championship season, the Celtics started the season 20-2.

In fact, of those three other noted seasons, they either made the Eastern Conference Finals (2009, 2018) or the NBA Finals (2008).

Is that predicative of similar outcome from this group?

If you’d asked such a question in October, it’s one that would have been shrugged — perhaps even laughed — off.

This team was materially weaker in terms of talent and structure both, with some of the same potential issues regarding their upcoming free agency period and the often-hungry mouths that contract years create still looming.

Yet, the clean sweep and culture shift orchestrated by the front office in bringing in high-character players from top to bottom, coupled with eliminating at least one of those aforementioned issues in signing fourth-year wing Jaylen Brown to a high-value long-term deal has proved prescient.

It seems to have re-ignited some of the fire we saw driving that 2017-18 Celtics squad far deeper into the postseason than most imagined, leaving many scrambling to understand how a team that lost two top-50 players can be doing so well.

Chemistry aside, adding All-NBA point guard Kemba Walker has been a major factor as well, as has been the resurgence of again-injured (though mercifully less seriously) Gordon Hayward, who has shown flashes of being the player Boston had hoped to deploy when they signed him in the summer of 2017.

Strong play and development from younger players — Brown and Tatum in particular — have also helped, with even this season’s expansive rookie class playing significant (and surprisingly mature) roles.

For a team with seven (yes, seven) such novates, the fact they are on pace to have one of the lowest turnover rates in league history suggests another factor needs to be considered.

That factor would be that Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, disappointed by the team’s lack of chemistry last season (per MassLive’s John Karalis) working diligently to find the best combinations he can have on the floor.

Chemistry, it seems, cannot be entirely ignored no matter whether we believe it a byproduct of other habits that lead to winning or a tangible intangible that any real contender needs to succeed.

After last season, the case for the former is a strong one. The question of whether this team is actually a contender given the tectonic shifts within the league’s elite teams over the summer is still a legitimate one though.

It is, as are many things, too early to tell. However, the signs of the Celtics becoming a truly special team are already undeniable.

Tom Brady offers support for Celtics guard Marcus Smart’s charity work

Tom Brady made donations for Marcus Smart’s silent auction.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady appears to be supporting Marcus Smart’s charity work on social media and at a silent auction. The Boston Celtics guard hosted a digital silent auction for his Bowling Bash, which is an effort to raise money for the YounGameChanger Foundation.

According to the event information, Smart’s foundation “helps provide families with seriously and chronically ill children with encouragement and life-changing experiences. It is also a voice of motivation, empowerment, and encouragement to inner-city young athletes to be game-changers off the court or field.”

Brady donated an autographed jersey and football for the silent auction, but he wasn’t the only Patriots to contribute. Cornerback Jason McCourty also contributed a pair of autographed and game-worn cleats.

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Luka Doncic: Jaylen Brown ‘deserves the contract he got’

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic talks up Boston Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown after Boston took down Dallas at home.

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You can count Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic among those who believe that the Boston Celtics are going to the bang for their buck after signing fourth-year swingman Jaylen Brown to a four-year, $115 million contract extension on Oct. 21.

The Mavericks star — or, dare I say, superstar — made the comments shortly after Brown and three-time All-Star Kemba Walker combined for 54 points on Monday, as they took down Doncic’s squad in a nailbiter.

Per the Boston Sports Journal’s Brian Robb, Doncic says that Brown is “a great player and he’s a two-way player. He can play really good defense and really good offense. He’s a great pick up by the Celtics…”

“He deserves the contract he got,” Doncic finishes boldly.

Brown scored 25 points (on 9-16 shooting from the field), leading the team in points until Walker scored 10 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter. He would also add 11 rebounds and three assists for his second-straight double-double of the season.

Past the stat sheet though, Brown as been just as impressive on the screen as he’s been on paper.

He’s been efficient throughout the season with his downhill style, utilizing clever dribble moves, his newfound ambidexterity and a better understanding of what the defense is giving him to enter Monday’s game with a career-high field goal percentage of 52.2.

Defensively, Brown remains alert, aggressive and willing to take the challenge of guarding the toughest player. He’s creating turnovers, helping protect the rim, defending multiple positions and playing impressive on-ball defense.

As Doncic says, he’s a two-way player.

The question of whether or not Brown was deserving of his contract extension (which included $12 million in incentives) was raised by many throughout the NBA world, from analysts to executives. In no sphere was there a consensus decision, though executives appeared more bullish on Brown than the scouts and media, and because Brown had only shown incremental improvement in his third season the skepticism was understandable.

However, work ethic has never been a question with the polymath and that should have earned him the confidence of some outside the Celtics organization, as he’s improved in nearly every area that’s been considered a weakness of his since entering the league.

His handle is tighter. His left hand is smooth. His decision-making is improved. He’s a threat from beyond the arc.

Though players tend to support each other in what they deem a fraternity and there will be those who take Doncic’s comments with a grain of salt, that the Mavs’ face of the franchise supported the decision to give Brown a lucrative contract extension is notable, as Luka is a storied NBA player in just his second season.

The two-time EuroLeague Rising Star, 2018 EuroLeague MVP and last season’s Rookie of the Year, Doncic is already an accomplished globally respected young talent. His endorsement doesn’t change anything for Brown but as they say, game recognizes game.

So Brown is obviously balling.

Jayson Tatum has historically bad shooting night in win over Mavs

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum had an unexpectedly poor shooting performance against the Dallas Mavericks.

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After going 1-18 from the field against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, obviously unable to get anything going no matter the difficulty or distance of the shot, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum turned in one of the worst shooting nights in both team and league history in what will be a forgettable night for the rising star.

Per ESPN Stats & Info, it was the second-worst shooting performance for a Celtics player since 1954 and the second-worst shooting performance by any player in a win in the last 65 years as well. Tatum, who was averaging a career-high 21.3 points per game entering Monday’s game against the Mavericks, finished the game with just five points.

Considering he’s had far more success shooting from behind the arc than any other spot on the floor outside of the lane, perhaps Tatum should have put his three-point mark of 44.4% to the test against the Mavs rather than his midrange game.

For the season, Tatum has only made 25% of his midrange attempts, per NBA.com.

However, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens is unconcerned about Tatum’s woeful night from the field, saying that he doesn’t lose sleep over poor shooting nights. No one else should lose sleep over Tatum’s poor shooting night either, as he’s long proven he’s one of the most skilled scorers in the league.

Kemba Walker downplays neck injury after win over Mavs

Boston Celtics point guard Kemba Walker feels fine now but that doesn’t guarantee he’ll suit up for the team’s next game.

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Characterizing a neck injury that kept him out of the final two minutes and 42 seconds of Monday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks as “a stinger” when speaking to reporters postgame (per NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg), Boston Celtics point guard Kemba Walker appeared unconcerned about the long-term effects of what Celtics head coach Brad Stevens would describe as whiplash.

Walker sustained the (apparently minor) injury after getting cut off by a defending Luka Doncic. He scored 10 of his team-high 29 in the final quarter, knocking down a flurry of threes after entering the second half with just five points.

The Celtics would win, 116-106.

Though Walker feels fine, there’s still a possibility that he misses the team’s next game — which will take place on Wednesday against the Washington Wizards — if he feels stiffness, discomfort or pain in his neck on Tuesday.

That said, the team will already be playing without one of their best players in Gordon Hayward for multiple weeks as he recovers from hand surgery, so keeping their top-end talent as healthy as possible in the meantime will be key to them remaining on a roll.

Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown lead C’s to victory over pesky Mavs

In a nationally televised matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown continues to shine. As does Kemba Walker, the new face of the franchise.

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It was a tale of two halves in many ways for the Boston Celtics, who eked out a win against the Dallas Mavericks (116-106) as they returned home from a three-game road trip to notch their eighth straight victory of the 2019-20 season.

That is, unless you were Jayson Tatum, who struggled from the field throughout the game. Entering Monday’s contest averaging 21.3 points per game on 43.2 percent shooting from the field, Tatum knocked down just one of his 18 field attempts (for five total points).

The Celtics defense suffocated Dallas in the first half as fourth-year wing Jaylen Brown continued to thrive as a slasher, showcasing an impressive combination of explosiveness, patience and ball-handling that made him difficult to stop. The Georgia native scored 25 points and notched his second straight double-double, continuing to make the Celtics look wise for extending his contract before the deadline.

However, while Tatum failed to find the mark from the floor, so too did All-Star point guard Kemba Walker.

Getting off to yet another slow start, Walker scored just five points in the first half before a barrage of three-pointers in the second half led to him finishing the game with 29 points (on 8-14 shooting from deep).

On the other side, Mavs star Luka Doncic played well throughout the game (he scored a game-high 34 points and dished out a game-high nine assists) and began to both score and facilitate at an even higher level in the second half. What was a tied game a halftime — but one that Dallas had never led in to that point — turned into one that the Mavs briefly led in the fourth quarter.

Walker, along with Brown, Marcus Smart and rookie Javonte Green — guards used to replace the downhill attack of the injured Gordon Hayward — made plays late in the game to give Boston the lead back. Walker would suffer whiplash late in the game that prevented him from playing the final minutes but by then, the Celtics already had the game in hand.

Boston was helped by the Mavericks going 3-9 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter but they battled for a tough win against a dominant player, and without one of their best players.

Next up for the Celtics is a matchup with the Washington Wizards on Nov. 13.

Report: Gordon Hayward out for six weeks after hand surgery

Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward’s absence can only be mitigated by a team-wide effort.

Per an official announcement from the Boston Celtics, forward Gordon Hayward underwent a successful surgery to repair a fourth metacarpal fracture in his left hand and will be out for approximately six weeks. With that timeline, the earliest he should be expected back is Dec. 25 against the Toronto Raptors.

Hayward sustained the injury on Nov. 9 against the San Antonio Spurs, leaving the game late in the second quarter.

In Hayward’s absence, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens has a myriad of options he can use to replace the all-around skillset that the veteran possessed but knows that it’ll be difficult to replace his savvy.

Against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, Boston started the fiery Marcus Smart and decided to play rookie guard Javonte Green off the bench to help mitigate the loss of Hayward’s slashing ability.

Star forward Gordon Hayward to have surgery, timetable unknown

Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward’s dynamic skillset will be difficult to replace.

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Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward’s agent Mark Bartelstein has announced that his star client will have surgery to repair a fracture in his left hand and will have his recovery timetable updated after the procedure.

Hayward fractured his hand — specifically, the fourth metacarpal of his left hand, per Yahoo Sports’ Keith Smith — against the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 9. However, surgery was only an option and the 10-year veteran would visit a hand specialist on Monday to determine the best course of action.

In the seven healthy games he played this season, Hayward averaged 20.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 56.4% from the field and 44.4% from three. The Celtics are well aware that they’ll miss Hayward’s versatility, shooting and decision-making but hope to mitigate his loss through team effort and the ‘next man up’ mentality.

Whether that next man is Romeo Langford, Javonte Green or simply the synthesizing kD multiple players’ skillsets, Boston will look to continue their stellar start.

One that’s left them with the league’s best record early in the season.

Injury report: Enes Kanter cleared to play for first time since season opener

Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter is finally ready to return from a knee contusion that kept him out for nearly three weeks of action.

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If it seems like Enes Kanter hasn’t played much for the Boston Celtics this season, that’s because he hasn’t.

After signing a two-year deal with the Celtics over the offseason, seeking to team up with Kemba Walker and play for Boston’s revered franchise, the nine-year veteran has been out since the team’s regular season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 23 due to a left knee contusion.

Kanter, who started the game in a rather unexpected move by Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, recorded 12 points, six rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes.

The team has been hopeful Kanter would be cleared since last week but it wouldn’t be until Monday,  Nov. 11 — the day of Boston’s nationally-televised matchup against the Dallas Mavericks — that Kanter would be cleared by the Celtics’ medical staff.

Per the Athletic’s Jay King, Kanter told reporters that the training staff had cleared him after shootaround, “so [he’s] good to go tonight.”

Kanter may not start against the Mavericks considering he’s been out for nearly three weeks and the Celtics have won seven straight games without him.

However, with Gordon Hayward’s scoring punch set to be missing from the starting lineup for a few weeks after the versatile forward fractured his hand against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, Stevens may want to have Kanter in the starting unit as an experienced offensive threat in place of the longtime Utah Jazz star.