Boston Celtics Front Court Priority: Defense or Shooting?

Looking into whether defense or shooting will be the priority for the Boston Celtics’ front court

By acquiring Al Horford in free agency this offseason, the Boston Celtics got exactly what they needed in a front court player. Horford has proven that he can be a strong defensive presence in the paint and will be their best rim protector. Combining that with his dynamic ability on the offensive end makes him the most complete player in the front court, by far. Horford is the one player that can give the Celtics both shooting and defense in the front court, while all other options are much more one dimensional.

Behind Horford, the Celtics have plenty of different options in Amir Johnson, Kelly Olynyk, Jonas Jerebko and an outside chance at Ben Bentil, Jordan Mickey or Tyler Zeller who will by vying for a final roster spot.

Right now, it feels as though Johnson will be retuning to his starting role alongside Horford, but that does not mean he will be the second most prominent front court player. The Celtics have seen multiple players with bench roles have a much larger impact than starters, and that could easily happen when the two best three point shooters (percentage wise) are right behind him on the depth chart.

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Stevens loves to get creative with his lineups and has no problem giving a bench player more opportunities to be a difference maker than a starter. That being said, Johnson would still be starting for a reason, and he is clearly the best defensive option.

The Celtics have always prioritized defense over offense and that has been the biggest indicator when it comes to predicting playing time. Given the state of the interior defense last year, defense will be the front court priority, at least to start things out. The one person who could really change that priority is Horford.

The Celtics know they are getting a great offensive weapon out of Horford, but his impact should be felt more on the defensive end. Horford is a good shooter, but he alone is not enough to erase the problems of one of the worst shooting teams in the league. His floor spacing will also be valuable, but that value will still be predicated on the success of his teammates who have not established themselves as trusted shooters.

The Celtics have such great defense everywhere else, that Horford alone could give them the balance they never saw last year, and he alone could be enough to make them the top defensive team in the league. If Horford alone brings that significant improvement on the defensive end, then all of a sudden the priority could shift to shooting, opening the door for Olynyk and even Jerebko to have a more important role than Johnson.

If you take Boston’s starting lineup but swap out Johnson for any other front court player, they will still be a strong defensive team. Losing his presence will still be felt, but they have players around him that have proven they can make up for lesser defenders in the lineup. With Horford there, the defense should be much better than last year no matter who is playing alongside him.

The fact that the Celtics also got their most reliable three point shooting front those second unit front court players gives them a great opportunity to take on more responsibility this season. Olynyk is also in a contract year and, even if he does not get the start could easily see more minutes and a more important role than Johnson.

The Celtics are already a top defensive team and Horford should make their poor shooting clearly the biggest issue on the team. Olynyk’s shooting contributions will be felt more directly than Johnson’s defensive contributions, but that does not necessarily mean that the Celtics will shift their strategy by emphasizing more on the offensive end.

In terms of their individual contributions, Olynyk has tremendous potential to be a game changer with his shot. Johnson, while being a strong and capable defender, is not going to be a game changer with any of his contributions. That being said, individual contributions are not what the Celtics will be looking at for their front court priority, they will remain focused on optimizing the lineup as a whole, and that is why Johnson has a great chance to be the second most prominent front court player on the team.

Even if the Celtics clearly need more improvement with their shooting than with their interior defense, they do a better job of thriving when their defense it at its very best. No matter what, the Celtics need to expect shooting struggles. The defense, however, would have no weaknesses with Johnson and Horford in the front court, and that will allow them to function better in every phase of the game.

The Celtics will always look to control the pace of the game with their defense, and they need to be a top team in transition in order to be successful. With Johnson in the lineup, the great defensive guards and Jae Crowder will no longer have to overcompensate in order to make up for a liability in the interior. Opposing offenses will have no clear weakness to attack and that will allow the two best on ball defenders on the team, Avery Bradley and Crowder, to be even more aggressive, forcing teams into more turnovers.

The Celtics need Olynyk’s shooting more than they need Johnson’s defense but, as a whole, defense is still the best way for them to be successful and that is why it will remain the top priority when it comes to playing time.

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A lot could hinge on how capable Olynyk can be on defense, and how strong Johnson can be on offense. If Olynyk takes a huge step on the defensive end and becomes more than just a capable defender, then he will certainly be the more important player. That being said, the priority in the front court will remain defense and if they play at their best as a unit, then everything they do as a team will be improved. For the Celtics, strong defense can do a lot more in terms of improving their offense, than their offense can do to improve their defense.