The Boston Celtics’ Youth Was on Display in the Playoffs
By Jeremy Karll
The Celtics unraveled in Games 5 and 6 and their youth was on full display during it
The Boston Celtics entered the 2016 NBA playoffs as the fifth youngest team in the NBA and the youngest in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The only team in the playoff field that was younger than Boston was the Portland Trail Blazers. The Celtics got even younger in their rotation once Avery Bradley was sidelined with a hamstring injury and Brad Stevens was forced to turn to rookies Terry Rozier and R.J. Hunter.
Minus the fact that Rozier and Hunter were key players in this series, the Celtics youth and playoff inexperience was on full display in their first round series with the Atlanta Hawks.
Boston doesn’t have one player on their roster over 30-years-old and most of their rotation consisted of players 27-years-old or younger. While young age may not always be a disadvantage in the playoffs, playoff inexperience among a roster of young players is.
The Celtics did have veterans like Avery Bradley, Amir Johnson, Jae Crowder and Evan Turner, who have been in the playoffs before besides the Celtics getting swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers a year ago. With that being said, none have been farther than the second round. When you mix that with a group of guys whose only experience is getting swept, it’s a learning experience.
Everything about the playoffs is different. The intensity, crowds and the style of play. It’s even more different when a lot of people are picking you to win and you’re not looked at as a warmup round for LeBron James.
Problems arose for the Celtics in their first round series against the Hawks and they weren’t able to figure out answers. They consistently went through long scoring droughts in every game and let Atlanta back in the game or allowed them to pull away. It may be due to Brad Stevens not making the right adjustments but Boston didn’t know how to handle that situation. They switched from their normal ball-moving team play to one-on-one play that allowed the Hawks to trap Isaiah Thomas and guard the paint.
Also, Boston missed open shot after open shot in every game and couldn’t handle the pressure of being on the road or in must-win games.
When at TD Garden, the Celtics played the same way they had all season. They pushed the tempo, let Evan Turner or Isaiah Thomas lead the way and got open looks. When on the road in a hostile environment, Boston went away from their gameplan. They allowed Mike Scott to have two of his best games of the season and were never able to get any offensive rhythm going. It may have just been a poor shooting series, however, experienced teams find ways to battle through that.
The Atlanta Hawks have been to the postseason nine straight years now, and it’s obvious. Their roster is full of vets who’ve been through the ropes of the playoffs and know what it takes to win. They didn’t shoot well all series either, however, they were able to make up for it.
Other guys stepped up and they stuck to their gameplan, even when in droughts. It seemed that whenever Boston went through any drought they would freak out and try to reinvent the wheel, when they should’ve just continued to play their game and tried to speed up the tempo of the game.
It was also evident that the Hawks got in the Celtics’ heads at the end. Whether you want to believe it or not, Isaiah Thomas getting a technical foul midway through the third quarter is a prime example of it.
The Celtics were down 58-to-41 and the game was getting out of hand quickly. Boston needed to keep their poise because there was still time to get back in the game – as Boston has shown many times throughout the season. Instead, their best player picked up an ill-advised technical foul. It was at the worst possible time and it only helped spark the Hawks run even more, which is something Boston was unable to do.
Isaiah Thomas and Dennis Schroder were battling with their mouths and on the court the entire series. Both picked up flagrants and technicals; Thomas was almost suspended at one point too. The series got chippy all the way around but it escalated to another level between these two.
More from Hardwood Houdini
- Boston Celtics’ two-way contract decision will be made after training camp
- Proposed trade sends Boston Celtics playoff killer to the Cs from rival
- ‘Face of Germany’s stunning run’ in FIBA World Cup not the only ex-Boston Celtics player to win gold
- Proposed Boston Celtics trade target pitched for reunion with fired coach
- Battle For Banner 18: Will Boston Celtics battle historical foe in 2024 Finals?
There were many times Schroder almost cracked and could have gotten a one-game suspension, but he didn’t. The Celtics also didn’t feed off the energy of the Hawks’ getting emotionally unraveled and go on a big run. The Hawks were able to use Thomas’ technical foul in Game 6 to ignite their run even further, eventually putting the game out of reach.
Not knowing how to get out of scoring droughts in a defensive-minded playoff series and focusing more on a half-court game in the playoffs is normal for young teams. For some reason, we expected Boston to magically run past Atlanta and give Cleveland a run for their money – possibly upsetting them.
Next: The Celtics Deserved a Better Ending
No, taking the Cetics in this series wasn’t unreasonable at all. But it seems that we forgot how young and inexperienced this bunch is. It was made obvious throughout this series, but it was a good learning experience, nonetheless, for a team who will be back.