Boston’s Small Ball Lineup Proving to be an Effective Combination

Small ball continues to be the best lineup option for the Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics have had a strong stretch of games since the return of Al Horford and Jae Crowder to the starting lineup. The team has rediscovered their defensive prowess, and have continued to show their improvement on the offensive end. The return of Crowder and Horford have not only improved Boston’s depth, but has also given Brad Stevens the best lineup combination he’s ever had.

The NBA has moved on from the days of the traditional big man. Because of the three point revolution, small ball has taken over today’s NBA. Small ball was best introduced by the Warriors in the 2015 season. Green playing the center position gave the Warriors a deadly combination of defensive versatility and shooting.

Signing Horford has given the Celtics their own version of a dangerous small lineup. The combination includes Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley as the guards, Marcus Smart playing small forward, Crowder at power forward and Horford at center. This lineup has plenty of scoring power, along with the best and most versatile defenders on the roster.

Since the pairing of Bradley and Thomas is no different from the starting unit, as well as Horford staying at center, the key to the small lineup is Smart and Crowder. Both players have shown their ability to guard multiple positions, especially players bigger than them. Also, they’re both perimeter players, which creates plenty of space for Thomas to make his drives and for Horford to have one-on-one post up opportunities.

Even though Smart and Crowder are the keys to the lineup’s versatility, Horford is the main reason why this group can be so dangerous. His all around skills makes him a great small ball center. Horford’s shooting ability can stretch the floor, and he also has shown that he can handle the ball and make plays off the dribble.

Coach Brad Stevens has mostly gone with the small lineup to close out the first half, and down the stretch into crunch time. The four year coach has always experimented with numerous combinations of guys down the stretch of games to find what works best. Stevens has to love the fact that he can use this combination of players in the most important times of the game.

The Celtics have struggled in the past to close out games. This can be put on the fact that the roster is full of young players, or because you could say the team has not had a “superstar” to bail them out of rough stretches of play. Either way, it is very encouraging that the Celtics now have a group of experienced players who can be counted on to finish things off.

I think that this group can be one of the best in the NBA. Thomas and Horford have plenty of space to operate with the other perimeter players spacing the floor. Because of that, Crowder, Smart, and Bradley will have more open looks. The small lineup should have no problem to continue to produce offense.

On the defensive end, this group should be able to wreak havoc on other teams. The Celtics will be able to switch anyone on defense, which will allow them to shut down opposing offenses. With Crowder and Smart being able to turn over opposing forwards, Bradley locking down the other team’s best perimeter threat, and Horford roaming the paint, this group should be Boston’s best defensive combination.

Next: Defense Coming Together for the Celtics

As the season continues, Brad Stevens will continue to employ his small ball lineup in important situations. Let’s just hope that the team stays healthy. If everyone can stay on the floor, we can really see how good this team is.