Three Takeaways from the Celtics Win Over the Nets

Belief in the offense

The Boston Celtics have struggled out of the gate this season. By now, you and every Celtics fan has heard this and as fans, have likely been extremely frustrated by that fact given the Celtics talent level.

Early on in the year, the Celtics would start games off slow or the opposing team would start off hot — the Celtics would wilt and go silently into that good night.

While those games were certainly frustrating to all of those involved, they presented the Celtics with the challenge of learning how to play together while balancing all the talent on the roster.

Fast forward to now, the Celtics look like they are beginning to believe.

They move the ball without fearing that they won’t get to touch the ball again for numerous possessions, they cut with authority, they set picks and actually roll to the basket instead of popping for threes every single time, they communicate on defense, they make the extra pass — but most importantly, they play together.

Not only is the Celtics offense firing on all cylinders, but they are playing with energy and effort on the defensive end. The Celtics forced (okay, some were just handed to them) Brooklyn into committing 23 turnovers tonight and held the Nets to just 41 percent shooting from the field.

Just take a look at the effort exerted by every Celtics player involved in this fast break situation.

Smart dives for the loose ball and begins to battle for the ball, followed by Rozier getting his hands dirty and allowing Smart to come up with the ball who throws it forward to Brown, who concludes the play by making a very (underrated) smart play by dropping the ball off to a streaking Semi who throws it down for two.

The Celtics have started off 2019 on the right foot and it all starts with playing together as a unit.