Right now, Boston owns the best defense in the league, posting a league best 95.8 defensive rating.
Last season, the Celtics posted a 105.5 defensive rating, which was good for 12th in the NBA. Then, they proceeded to trade away the perceived two best defenders on the roster, Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder.
Naturally, fans expressed outrage. However, the losses don’t seem to have hurt Boston. Sure, losing Bradley was never going to sit well with fans, but getting Gordon Hayward softened the blow. But when Ainge traded Crowder, along with Isaiah Thomas, to Cleveland for Kyrie Irving? Fans couldn’t understand why Ainge would trade away so much defense.
It is clear Crowder is not the defender everyone thought he was. His time so far in Cleveland has proved this to be true.
In addition, Irving is playing better defense than he has in his entire life, something that wasn’t expected to happen so soon. His 96.4 defensive rating is 61st in the league, including games he has played injured.
Bradley is still a lockdown defender, but he can only cover guards. For a shooting guard, this is not ideal. It also shows why Boston is so much better on the defensive end.
In addition to Irving playing so well, the Celtics are much more versatile on the defensive end this season.
The roster is full of rangy wings who are able to switch much more often than last season. Nothing against Thomas and Bradley, but Irving and Jaylen Brown are a much more versatile defensive backcourt pairing.
Also, having Tatum and Horford playing at power forward allows for the defense to switch easier than when Amir Johnson got minutes at that spot.
Being able to switch on defense is vital, as it can help take away driving lanes and playmaking opportunities much easier. Granted, Boston has not played the toughest slate of competition yet, but the potential is there.
Having a team full of wings with long wingspans and solid athleticism will help any team on the defensive end. This attribute, combined with the hustle Boston displays, makes for a great defensive team all-around.
Among players who have played in at least 10 games, no one has a defensive rating of more than 101.9 (Semi Ojeleye). That means Shane Larkin, Aron Baynes, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, Kyrie Irving and Daniel Theis all have defensive ratings lower than 100.
Obviously things will level out at some point as Boston plays better teams, but this team has the makings of an elite defensive squad. As the season wears on, that should prove to be the case more often than not.