Keys to consistent success: Boston Celtics must establish this identity
Over the last few weeks, the Boston Celtics have begun to move closer toward the mean. From sub-par shooting nights to turnovers at the worst possible time, a lot has gone wrong for Joe Mazzulla and the Cs since their convincing triumph over the Suns on the road.
Outlasting the Timberwolves and running away from the mighty Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas to move to 2-3 on the current homestand demonstrated what needs to be done to continue the momentum that two confidence-building wins must offer. Over the last 10 contests, the Boston Celtics rank 29th in the entire association in 3-point percentage, ahead of only the Houston Rockets.
Against Rudy Gobert and a Mike Budenholzer squad loaded with height at the TD Garden, Boston went through many ebbs and flows but led by Jaylen Brown in the fourth quarter, the Celtics attacked the teeth of the Timberwolves’ defense. Despite shooting 30% or lower from beyond the arc for the fifth time in the previous eight games, Boston limited its giveaways and collected 58 points in the paint on Friday night. In wins this season, the Cs have accumulated an average of 46.7 points inside the painted area, but have managed just 40.7 in losses per 100 possessions.
When the final buzzer sounded at the TD Garden, Boston had managed 54 points in the paint, becoming the fifth time in the last six wins that it was able to outscore its opposition inside the painted area. Whether it is the creativity of Marcus Smart finding someone for an easy two, or Jaylen Brown putting his head down with one goal in mind, it is no secret that for this team to find consistent success, getting the ball inside the arc is going to do it. When it comes to shots between 10-19 feet, the Cs are shooting over 50% in that area in wins, attempting far more shots in the mid-range compared to what Boston has been able to do in losses inside 20 feet.
After the victory over Minnesota, Mazzullaspoke on the positives of a gritty win at home, stating:
"“We were aggressive. We took the best shot, we spaced, and we drove the ball. We did a great job making the right play at the rim, whether it was the layup or the kick outs. We got both tonight.”"
Staples of what a consistent Boston Celtics game plan look like
On top of being the aggressor for the first time in several games, the Boston Celtics were able to turn Minnesota over 17 times, getting into the air space at a constant rate on the perimeter, despite sitting 25th in the NBA in forcing turnovers at just 13.5 per game. The Cs were able to convert those giveaways into an impressive 24 fast break points, proving why this club sits in the top ten in that category around the league. It was the most points scored in transition since the first game of the previous road trip against the Nets on December 4.
Just a few days later on Christmas day under the national spotlight, the Celtics were able to 48.7% of their 3-point attempts, but it was something else that acted as the catalyst to victory. Boston played with both purpose and pace, and behind nine steals, the Cs accumulated 16 or more fast break points for the fourth time in the last six contests.
Boston is 7-2 since the beginning of November when it is able to muster nine or more steals through 48 minutes. Getting into the passing lanes, and creating turnovers is not something that the Cs have been prolific at by all means, but if this team is to rebound and run with numbers going forward to earn easy baskets, there are not many teams around the league, if any, that can hang with Boston.
As the last few weeks have shown Joe Mazzulla’s team, 3-pointers are sometimes not going to be there, but the aggression and pace of play out in transition have to remain constant throughout. During the course of a season, teams are going to endure those runs of games when the hoop feels like there is a lid on it, and when that happens, Boston must turn to what got it back on track at the TD Garden against the Timberwolves.
Shots were falling on national television with families around the world tuning in during their holiday, and on top of its elite offense, the Cs became just the fourth team this season to hold Giannis Antetokounmpo to under 30 points and fewer than 10 rebounds in a single game. The record without Smart this season may be sitting at 3-1 including impressive wins over the Pelicans and the Nets, but there are those intangibles that simply cannot be measured when it comes to what the former Oklahoma State product brings each night on the floor.
When many critics around the NBA world were just raising questions about the regression of Boston following a red-hot start, the Cs went out and defeated two clubs that made it to the postseason in the previous campaign. No team is perfect, and Boston is nowhere near it. Mazzulla is a first-time head coach, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are still young, and shots don’t always fall as the team would like in each game.
It is simply unrealistic to believe there was not going to be a challenging time of the season when the Boston Celtics begin to lose to teams that they are far more talented than. A 1.5-game buffer is now the lead at the top of the conference, and a lot of that has to do with not just Boston’s shooting. Finding a way inside, pushing the ball to obtain fast break points and hard-nosed defense has to be the identity of this team no matter what.