Fouling is a Necessary Part of the Boston Celtics Defense

Again and again it appears as though the Boston Celtics are getting the short end of officiating because they continue to fall far behind their opponents on free throws attempted. The Celtics rank 21st with 22.2 free throw attempts per game. The frustration with that is amplified considering the Celtics give up 26.5 free throw attempts per game, the most in the league.

These kinds of discrpencies often lead to questioning how refs are calling games. Some may think the Celtics are at a disadvantage because they have no player that is at the point of getting “superstar whistles”. While it may be automatic to blame the refs, that is not the case with the Celtics. Their inability to get to the free throw line may be problematic but the amount of fouls they commit is not the bad sign that most think it may be.

It is not a coincidence that the Celtics also happen to be the team that generates the most turnovers per game. It is also not a coincidence that the Celtics are one of the best defensive teams, without a true rim protector. The Celtics get the majority of their defensive success out of aggressiveness. The Celtics guard their opponents as close as anyone and contest shots as well as anyone. They never give their opponent any space and they are ready to pounce at even the slightest of opportunities.

The Cleitcs have had tremendous success with this defensive style this year but it is impossible to play that kind of style without fouling a lot. The Celtics are trying to find a balance between giving their opponents absolutely no space to do anything without fouling. The Celtics are constantly attacking and are constantly looking to create steals and when they do not succeed it often results in a foul.

Fouling is the very last defensive statistic that needs to be worried about with the way the Celtics play. If they make a concentrated effort to cut out their fouls then they will undoubted suffer by not generating the same amount of turnovers and contesting the same amount of shots. There is no doubting that the Celtics hurt themselves with the amount of times they foul in a game but they are not pointless fouls.

The Celtics are one of the fastest paced teams in the NBA and fouling works against that. Fouling slows the game down, gets the Celtics out of transition and limits the amount of time they have with with the ball to generate their own opportunities. Fouling is the kind of thing that, if it gets way out of hand, could easily send the Celtics’ offense into a slump and out of rhythm.

The reason why these issues need to be accepted is too much of their success comes from the same practices that cause them to commit so many fouls. The Celtics simply cannot afford to lose any defensive intensity, especially without a true rim protector. The Celtics need to make up for their lack of an interior defender with endless aggressiveness and when the results have been one of the best defensive teams in the league, there is no reason to even hesitate with this approach.

Throw in the impact their defensive aggressiveness has on their offensive game and no Celtics fan should ever have a problem with their free throw discrepancy. The Celtics foul a lot because of their tendency to always be looking for a steal. The Celtics’ offense is as good as it is because of the volume of opportunities they generate. The Celtics do not have the shooters to have this kind of success without the extra opportunities and steals are the best way for them to optimize their offensive game.

Next: Boston Celtics, Best Team in the NBA?

The Celtics need to maintain their defensive intensity and they need to continue to play physical and take risks. These are the things that have defined the Celtics this year. These are the things that have lead them to the number three seed in the eastern conference and if that means they have to deal with getting fewer free throws in almost every game, then that is going to be a necessary part of their game.