Boston Celtics Strengths and Weaknesses

With the regular season coming to a close, it’s probably the right time to make an evaluation of the Boston Celtics and break down their main strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths

Team chemistry: One of Boston’s biggest strengths this year is their great team chemistry. The Celtics have a lot of guys on their roster who can contribute in different aspects of the game. Coach Brad Stevens has done a terrific job in distributing a role to everyone in the team, and as a result, every player is ready to come in and play whether he is a starter or coming off the bench. Keep in mind that the Celtics rank sixth in bench scoring, mostly with due to players like Evan Turner and Kelly Olynyk stepping up to get the job done.

Perimeter defense: Two of the best perimeter defenders in the league, Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart, are a big reason why the Celtics have had a great defensive performance for the majority of the season. Let’s not forget that they also have Jae Crowder who has developed to one of the best 3-and-D wings in the game.

Due to their quickness, active hands, high motor, and defensive awareness, the Celtics cause lots of problems to opposing teams. As a result the Celtics rank first in two important statistical categories: opponent three-point percentage (32.8%) and in opponent turnovers, as their opponents commit 16.4 per game.

Head Coach: In my opinion, Celtics’ biggest asset is their head coach Brad Stevens. Stevens is one of the brightest minds in basketball nowadays and he should really be considered as strong candidate for the “Coach of the Year” award this season.

In his first three NBA seasons, he has done a remarkable job with the team and keeps improving every season. It’s quite impressive that this season will be Boston’s second consecutive trip to the playoffs, despite that they are supposed to be in a rebuilding process.

Stevens has transformed a roster without any superstar in it, into one of the best in the East and into one of the most fun teams in the NBA. All his players are committed to the system, and to his coaching philosophy, and that’s one of the main reasons he manages to get 100 percent out of them. Despite considered inexperienced in the NBA level, Stevens might be Boston’s biggest strength in their attempt to make some noise in the playoffs.

Weaknesses

Size: One of Celtics’ biggest issue is their lack of size. Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley are one of the smallest backcourts you will find in the league. The Celtics also lack size on the interior and this makes them quite vulnerable in the paint.

Moreover, lack of length is another reason for their mediocre performance when it comes to rim protection. Celtics block 4.3 shots per game, ranking 23rd in the league. Neither Amir Johnson nor Jared Sullinger are big men that can successfully prevent opposing players from getting to the rim.

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Three-point shooting: The Celtics shoot 33.4 percent from the three-point line, ranking 26th in the NBA. Their best three-point shooters are their big men, Kelly Olynyk and Jonas Jerebko. However, they keep shooting a lot of threes during a game (26.4), mostly because they try to space the floor as much as possible because as we have mentioned before, proper floor spacing is a big part of their game plan. In the playoffs, when they will face stronger defensive opponents, they will have to make those shots more frequently, otherwise they might face severe problems.

Star power: Although we have stated how marvelous of a job Coach Stevens does without a true superstar in the roster, the lack of star power is perhaps the biggest issue the Celtics might face in the playoffs. Postseason defenses are much stronger more physical, and the majority of the games are close and come down to the final minutes.

The Celtics will need a go to guy to take the ball and make the decisions down the stretch. Until now, Isaiah Thomas is considered their number one option, and although he has shown that he can be successful, things will definitely be much harder in the playoffs.

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The Celtics have shown that they can beat anyone if they play their best game and will not be an easy opponent for anyone in the postseason. Even though the East is much stronger this year, Boston has what it takes to win at least one round in the playoffs and even cause a major upset if they stay healthy and stick to their game plan.

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