Boston Celtics Get the Start They Need

The Boston Celtics have just won one game against one of the weakest teams in the league and even if that is nothing to get excited about, it is exactly what the they need.

The Celtics need every win they can get but this game can be about a lot more than that. First of all, they are going to need all the confidence in the world with a huge divisional game up next and then the San Antonio Spurs right after that.

A loss to the Philadelphia 76ers would have set the Celtics up for disaster but they did a great job in avoiding that. The team also did a lot of things to be happy about against the 76ers.

Other than a disastrous start by Tyler Zeller, the Celtics should be happy about nearly every aspect of the game. Disastrous may not even do justice to a start that got Zeller banished to the bench for all but the final two minutes of the game.

Zeller did nothing to stop Jahlil Okafor who hit his first five shots in the NBA and lead the 76ers to an early lead despite not having a single assist. Adjustments were made, Jared Sullinger and Amir Johnson took over and the Celtics never looked back.

Oct 28, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) drives against Boston Celtics forward Jared Sullinger (7) during the second half at TD Garden. The Boston Celtics won 112-95. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

The list of players who played well is pretty close to the entire roster. The rookies did not get a chance to leave their mark as they only played in the final minutes with the game out of reach.

This was a typical successful Celtics game. They won the turnover battle 17-22 and they dominated the assist battle 31-12. In fact, there were moments when you wondered whether or not the 76ers would have any assists for the entire first half. Okafor did have a dominate 26 point performance but the majority of that was during the first quarter when Zeller failed to put up any resistance in the paint.

In more typical Celtics fashion, their bench took over the game. Led by a phenomenal 27 points and 7 assists from Isaiah Thomas, the Celtics had three bench players in double digits, including their two highest outputs of the game as Johnson put in 15 points. Overall, the bench combined for 67 points and the lone player to be without a point was Terry Rozier.

The Celtics did what was expected of them by dominating the 76ers with their great depth and phenomenal ball movement but the most significant aspect of the game may have been Marcus Smart. Smart did not put up any eye popping numbers with 13 points 5 assists and 2 steals. However, there is no doubting that he is going to be much more of an offensive factor than a season ago.

Not only was Smart successful hitting 50% of his three point shots, but it appears as though he has an open green light on three point shooting. Smart will never be the player to be taking bad or contested shots but any time he sees an opening he is going to take advantage of it without hesitation.

Smart actually tied Thomas with the most three point attempts with 6 on the game but he blew Thomas away hitting 3 instead of 1. Smart improved his three point shooting by eclipsing the 30% mark for the first time in his career last season and he is clearly determined to get even better.

Oct 28, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics point guard Marcus Smart (36) is guarded by Philadelphia 76ers point guard Isaiah Canaan (0) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Smart may not get many opportunities to be a ball handler with David Lee and Thomas on the court but he is going to do a lot more damage on that end of the court. Smart is putting together a special combination of defense and offense and everything is pointing to him getting better and better and that is the worst kind of news for the rest of the NBA.

The icing on the cake in this game was then the two new additions both have solid performances. Amir Johnson gave us the best of both worlds with solid play in the post and even a three pointer. Johnson did not look to stretch the floor often but if he continues to be effective, Stevens will do more to get him more looks from that range. Johnson had 7 rebounds to go along with his 15 points and he is doing everything to get into the starting unit.

Lee then looked like the best passer on the team. He was limited to just 8 points but on a poor shooting night he still managed to haver an impact with 5 assists, behind only Thomas’ 7.

The Celtics went into this game with a close front court race and with Zeller disappointing and Kelly Olynyk suspended, Jared Sullinger did everything to gain ground on them. The three point shooting is still a concern but Sullinger did not miss a single shot inside the three point line and collected 7 rebounds. The best part may then be that Sullinger appeared to ease the issues the team was having with Okafor.

The Celtics looked great in transition and they continue to create those opportunities by remaining active on the defense end. Plenty of steals and hustle are going to lead to a lot of offensive success for the Celtics as even Sullinger was making his way down the court and punishing the 76ers.

There are a lot of positives to build on this Celtics win but it will all be undone if they cannot escape the next two game stretch with at least one win.

More from Hardwood Houdini

Home/Celtics News