Boston Celtics Defense Poised to Improve After All Star Break
The Boston Celtics have the most disappointing defense in the league, but are in a great position to improve
Despite meeting expectations by currently holding onto the number two seed in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics have been the most disappointing team on the defensive end this season. After having that defense carry an abysmal offense into the playoffs last year, the addition of Al Horford was supposed to make them a favorite to be the best defense in the league. Unfortunately, the Celtics have been a bad defensive team for the majority of the season, and are continually having to make up for it with their great offense.
The root of the problem for the Celtics is their rebounding. They do not have a single big that is even an average rebounder, and allowing so many second chance opportunities had made things impossibly difficulty for them on that end.
The Celtics have regressed as a rebounding team, but the biggest difference from last season to this season is the turnovers. The Celtics had worse interior defenders last season, and they gave up more easy baskets at the rim on a regular basis. That being said, the Celtics used their unmatched defensive intensity and aggression to be the best team in the league at forcing turnovers, and they were able to use that to make up for many different problems.
This season, the Celtics are no longer getting those steals, and have not found another way to make up for their issues. The Celtics do not appear to be playing with the same kind of defensive intensity as they did last year on a consistent basis, and with injuries piling up, their defense has started to look like a lost cause in more ways than just rebounding.
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The Celtics can feel great about their offense. They have found the three point shooting that killed them last season, they some of the best ball movement and ball protection in the league, and Isaiah Thomas is scoring in the fourth quarter like no one has ever done before in the NBA.
The Celtics know their offense has been good enough, and after the All Star break, their defense should finally be able to close the gap, allowing them to capture the balance they need to go on a deep playoff run.
The Celtics defense has improved throughout this season. They are doomed to be bottom dwellers when it comes to rebounding for the rest of the season, but they have gradually improved other areas. There is nothing exceptional, but they are now around the middle of the league, giving up 105.8 points per game. They dip a bit when it comes to defensive efficiency, but still hover around the same rankings. The Celtics do a decent job of limiting field goal percentage, as giving up 45.4 percent ranks 12th in league. The biggest strength of this defense has then been defending the three point line. The Celtics have a lot of versatile defenders, and that has allowed them to continually contest outside shots. The Celtics allow opponents to shoot 34.5 percent from three, which is top five in the league.
This divide between points given up and shooting percentages emphasizes how detrimental the rebounding has been. The problem is much less the initial defense of this team, and they are being killed by second chance opportunities. Teams are not necessarily killing the Celtics with efficiency, but it is far too easy to get additional opportunities against this defense.
The Celtics cannot hope to improve their defense through rebounding, even if that would be the best way to improve this team. Instead, the Celtics need to look to any area they know they can be better in, in order to make up for their shortcomings.
The most concerning thing about this defense has been the lack of turnovers. They rank 15th, forcing 13.6 turnovers per game, and that is where they need to start with defensive improvement, and there is reason to be optimistic that they will improve in that area.
The Celtics still have strong individual defenders, and with the way Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown has stepped up in Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder‘s absence, they will be in a much better position to succeed once they are at full strength, which is expected to happen following he All Star break.
Brad Stevens has always done a great job of getting his team to improve following the All Star break in the past, and establishing greater chemistry is always a difference maker. The Celtics added maybe their most important defender in Horford in free agency, and they still have been figuring out how to use him properly, especially in small ball lineups.
The Celtics were always going to need time to reach their peak defensively, and now that their second unit could become a strong defensive unit, things should really come together for a playoff run. That additional time should allow Stevens to figure out how he can use his three outstanding starting defenders in Crowder, Bradley and Horford, in order to make up for their weaknesses, which are less blatant than a season ago. The defensive intensity and aggression does need to step up, but that is not the only way the starting unit should be improved once they are at full strength.
The best part is now the Celtics can have a second unit that can excel defensively. They will not be getting a boost from their front court, but Brown and Smart’s versatility, along with Terry Rozier‘s incredible activity, should give the Celtics a much needed boost from the second unit.
Brown could be the biggest difference. He did not have a consistently large role prior to Bradley’s injury, and he continues to impress on that end each game he plays. He will be the key to that second unit playing small, and he is emerging as one of the best transition players on the team.
On the starting unit, things will start to feel a lot better once they are at full strength, and have the additional experience in order to understand how they need to play in order to be at their best. The second unit came into this season incredibly young, and now that they have had their opportunity to establish who can be trusted on defense, they should be able to have an impact, particularly in transition.
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The Celtics are at a place where they need a big trade in order to become one of the top defenses in the league. Their lack of size and rebounding will always hold them back, but they still have the pieces to get an edge from their defense. The Celtics have had the time they need to establish chemistry and have seen second unit players step up, all pointing to them being much improved once they get back to full strength.