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Boston Celtics Need Bench to Keep Interior Defense Together

By Joshua Bateman

BROOKLYN, NY - NOVEMBER 14: Semi Ojeleye #37 and Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics shake hands against the Brooklyn Nets on November 14, 2017 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
BROOKLYN, NY - NOVEMBER 14: Semi Ojeleye #37 and Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics shake hands against the Brooklyn Nets on November 14, 2017 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Pistons showed everyone how important Boston’s bench is to their defense

The Boston Celtics had one of their worst defensive performances of the season against the Detroit Pistons. They were exposed on the inside, and that is not something we have been used to this season. They’ve embraced their versatile bigs, and their physically dominant wings have picked up the slack when necessary. Against the Pistons, the versatility could not see the floor, and Andre Drummond ran wild all night long.

The starters have been phenomenal on defense for the Celtics, but that has not been too much of a surprise. The bench, on the other hand, has shattered what you can expect from a second unit defensively. Daniel Theis, Semi Ojeleye and Aron Baynes have been three of the best defenders on the team, and they have been crucial to the success this season.

Against the Pistons, Theis was limited to 10 minutes, Ojeleye seven and Baynes 13. They could not stay on the floor, and the defense fell apart from there. The Celtics have great defensive guards and wings that make up for more than maybe any other group in the NBA, but they cannot do it on their own.

The Celtics have done a great job of balancing the undersized front court with the rest of their players, but they could not do that against the Pistons. Without the versatility anchoring the defense behind studs like Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart, there are weaknesses that can be exploited. Prrhaps the best part of this defense has been their lack of weaknesses, because when they play well there is no way to attack them

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The second unit also needs to be playing defense to have an impact. Terry Rozier and Smart have broken out a bit recently, but is is impossible to trust that offense. If they are not getting an edge on defense, then they are going to be giving up runs, and everything will fall on the starters.

Those bench players may not be the best or most important defenders on the team, but they are essential. The Celtics need someone to hold things down when Al Horford is on the bench, and they need players that can help Horford when he is out there against some of the more physically dominant big men.

Last season, we saw what happens when Horford is the only great defender in the front court. They got killed on the boards, and could be abused on the inside. When Theis, Ojeleye and Baynes are all involved and playing well, that defense cannot be penetrated, and that is how the Celtics get to their best.

Sometimes the matchups will make it difficult for those players to see the court a lot. They have other limitations, and Brad Stevens has other things to worry about. The problem is that when the matchup takes those players out of the game, the Celtics are not at their best.

This is a team that is still transitioning and still trying to fully find their identity. What we know so far is that this is a dominant defense that locks down the paint with some of the best versatility you will see in the league. If the Celtics lose that, like they did against the Pistons, then there still is no clear option of where to go.

Sometimes the Celtics will have to adjust that defensive approach, but they still need to figure out what adjustments could work. The Celtics were not a disaster against the Pistons, but they know that if they are better on the defensive end, and do not get dominated in the interior like that, then they should be winning that game.

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The Celtics have one of the most frustrating benches on offense in the NBA, but their defense is unmatched. The best part is that two of the most important bench defenders are also rookies. Given the size problems, it will take them some time to be prepared to hold their own against teams like the Pistons. If that comes, and these players can stay on the court through any matchup, then this defense will improve on what is already the best unit in the league.

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