The Boston Celtics need to make sure defense is still their strength next season
The Boston Celtics are going into next season adding two of the most talented offensive players in the NBA in Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving. The team they are joining also happened to be the best defense in the NBA last season, although Irving was a part of the defense for the majority of the regular season.
It was always evident how much more important defense was than offense to the Celtics last year. Any time they were stringing wins together, it was behind strong defensive performances. Even if they were at their best on offense, defense was still the best way for them to win games.
When you look at the talent on this roster, it really feels like offence has to be their biggest strength. The talent itself is overwhelming, all of them love to buy into what Brand Stevens is doing, so everyone should be benefiting from one of the highest functioning offenses in the NBA.
On defense, the roster looks a bit risky. If they are starting Hayward, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, they will really only be playing one big in Al Horford, and it could be difficult for them to maintain defense with that lineup all year long.
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That being said, the Celtics have invested so much in getting wings for this exact purpose. The Celtics have the offense to make sure they can dictate all the terms. With that top lineup, they should be forcing any other team to make the adjustments to try and match their physicality and speed.
The moment that happens, this defense can really start to exploit them. The Celtics are going to have five defenders who are ready to switch onto any matchup. They might have to put in some work to hide Irving in certain situations, but they can trust him to hold his own against most back courts.
The teams are going to try and match the versatility of the Celtics, which they will have to do because of the offense, they can once again be the best defense in the league. They can absolute gut teams in transition, and break down even the best rosters.
When you add on that they could have Terry Rozier, Marcus Smart and Daniel Theis coming off their bench, they have the kind of defensive versatility that is unmatched in the NBA. If they are successful on offense, their defense will get comfortable, and then that is how they can start to really win a serious amount of games.
Defene has always bee Stevens’ identity and you need it to win in the NBA now. The reality is that you do not want to have to outscore the Warriors or the Rockets, but the Celtics can achieve the kind of balance that is out of their reach.
The Celtics have the kind of versatility that should make any team uncomfortable, with no clear places to attack. They have the kind of defense that should make any team uncomfortable, and then those mistakes brought out by their defense are how they can really dominate teams.