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Boston Celtics Show Why it is Never About an Individual

By Joshua Bateman

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 24: Terry Rozier III #12 of the Boston Celtics plays against Wesley Johnson #33 and DeAndre Jordan #6 of the Los Angeles Clippers on January 24, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. 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. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 24: Terry Rozier III #12 of the Boston Celtics plays against Wesley Johnson #33 and DeAndre Jordan #6 of the Los Angeles Clippers on January 24, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. 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. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images) /
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You cannot point to any individual to explain why the Boston Celtics turned things around against the Clippers

The Boston Celtics finally got back on track with a commanding victory against the Los Angeles Clippers, and they did it without two of their most important players in Marcus Smart and Al Horford. On top of that, they finally had a great offensive game, with Kyrie Irving scoring well under his average.

During their four game skid, the Celtics were seeing some strong performances from their individuals. Smart was stellar against the Lakers, and Irving had games with 33 and 40 points. The Celtics did not have a single individual performance that topped either of those, and the team finally got back to playing great basketball.

We have seen it time and time again with this Celtics team, they are never playing well because one individual elevates the entire team. They need to rely what they can do as a unit, with no one playing with the mentality that they need to be the one to make up the difference.

Obviously, it helps when a lot of the secondary players shoot well, and that will not always happen. Keep in mind, the Celtics dominated on offense, but still only shot 35 percent from three and 41 percent overall.

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The defense made a big difference, because they were able to generate a lot of points off turnovers, but there is nothing about this overall offense that is not sustainable for the Celtics. There will be teams where the Celtics need to play like this overall, while also needing Irving to do more.

For now, however, the priority needs to be making sure they use as many different pieces as possible. The Celtics need to make sure they are creating, taking and hitting shots that are comfortable and in rhythm.

The Celtics had five different players score in double figures, and a total of 39 points off the bench. Irving had his own kind of special performance with 8 rebounds and 7 assists to go with his 20 points. What is key is that the Celtics were not looking to any individual to bail them out on offense.

No matter who was on the court, the unit looked to generate offense as a whole, and whoever got the best shot would take it. Jayson Tatum seemed to get back into his groove, and that might be the most important thing. He brings a level of reliability because of his efficiency and intelligence that it almost impossible to find, and that can help settle everyone and contain major runs.

Then you see Terry Rozier coming to life, despite struggling from beyond the arc. The Celtics were finding more ways to score against the Clippers, and everyone looked more comfortable and hit the shots they needed to.

The Celtics are playing the Warriors next, and that is the last team in the league you can try to beat as individuals. Nobody has the individual talent to matchup with those guys, but the reason the Celtics have played them to well is because they use their entire unit and their depth to disrupt what the Warriors want to do, and have as many different options when trying to answer them.

The Celtics finally got that taste of what they need to do to be at their best, and it is great to see that end the four game losing streak, with possibly the toughest game of the season next up. The Celtics get their rest so they will ideally get both Horford and Smart back.

Next: Celtics Offense Wakes Up Vs Clippers

The most important thing will  be making sure no one tries to overcompensate in any way, because if they can get comfortable like this on offense back at full strength, they have a chance to beat anyone.

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