Boston Celtics: 3 key takeaways for Cs series-sweep over Philadelphia

Round-one takeaway No. 3) Interior presence not as concerning as once thought

As we kicked off the 2019-20 postseason, Bleacher Report came out with a piece discussing what they believed to be the biggest concern for every playoff team. For the Boston Celtics, writer Mandela Namaste believed their interior presence to be the are of most concern.

"Back in December, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid erupted for 38 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in a six-point victory. The Celtics are deservedly favorites in the first round given both their standout performance in Orlando and the Sixers’ injury troubles. However, it would behoove them to find a solution down low for later rounds, where skilled big men like Adebayo, Marc Gasol, and Anthony Davis may await."

Now, sure, with the fact that Joel Embiid ended up averaging 30 points, 13 boards, and a block on 46 percent shooting from the floor, one could certainly jump to the conclusion that the C’s interior combatants were outmatched by the talented big.

That said, however, for the most part, the team’s main center rotation of Daniel Theis and, yes, even Enes Kanter did quite a fine job when tasked with defending the paint.

With the fact that Boston’s defensive rating rang in at 97.7 with Kanter and 100 with Theis manning the middle against arguably the best big-man in the association, it’s safe to say they formulated quite an intimidating interior presence during this quick four-game series.

Were they perfect? No. Still, they were good enough to end the towering Philadelphia 76ers’ lineup in sweep fashion. Moving forward, it’s not outlandish to believe this high level of intensity down low could remain the same for the Boston Celtics.