BOSTON — Craig Porter Jr. sized up Sam Hauser at the three-point line early in the first quarter on Sunday night. It was the Boston Celtics’ third preseason game—their first at home—and the Cleveland Cavaliers were in town. Dean Wade had just slipped a screen, bringing Payton Pritchard with him down to the dunker spot. Or so he thought.
Instead of following, Pritchard lurked. Porter Jr. tried to drive on Hauser, dribbling right before hitting a behind-the-back dribble move to come back to the left. But Pritchard was still there. He stripped the ball, took off in transition, and slow-stepped his way to a bucket at the rim.
Last year’s Celtics may not have gotten that steal. They played it safe. Trusted their defense. Avoided fouls at all costs.
This season could look very different.
“One transition I know we wanted to do this year was to help more for each other. So, I'm kind of just watching the ball, as well as my man, trying to get back up, but at the same time understanding that it's all five vs. the ball. It's not just a one-on-one with the ball. So, just trying to read that and see where I can help off-ball really.”
Celtics are ready to take more risk on defense
Through their first three preseason games, the Celtics have averaged 11.7 steals per game (fifth in the NBA). Last season, they clocked in at just 7.2 (29th in the NBA).
Obviously, only so much can be learned from a few preseason contests. None of the Celtics’ opponents has rolled out their starters, so the number seems likely to decrease. But their chaotic style isn’t going away.
“I think it's just big on protecting each other and just having that trust that, if I go, someone will have my back, and we just all fly around after that,” said Derrick White.
“So, we want to protect each other, and we obviously have a big emphasis on individual defense, but you're going to get beat. Advantages will happen. It's all about protecting each other and just trusting that the next person will make the rotation and we'll fly around after that.”
If Porter Jr. had kept the ball, Wade would have been wide-open under the rim. But White was in the corner, ready to shift over. If he had, Hauser would have rotated to his man. And maybe Chris Boucher or Jaylen Brown would have helped on the next drive.
Rotations are essential to Boston’s new, aggressive defense. Mistakes are inevitable, but playing together will help make up for them.
“It's not gonna be perfect,” said Simons. “We're gonna take some risks, and it might not work out, but we have to protect each other once those mistakes happen. And so, that's been the constant talk about this whole training camp. It's just, you mess up, you cover for your teammate, cover for your brother, and then, we'll figure it out as the possession goes along.”
And without top-tier defensive comprehension, everything will fall apart.
“It's got to do with what's on the shot clock, what player are you guarding? Just having a high IQ of the situation,” Pritchard said. “What's the risk-reward on it? So, we definitely want to take more risks and be more aggressive defensively. So, this is the preseason to learn that and trying to build those habits of what's the right time, what's the wrong time?”
Boston is going to foul more. It comes with the territory. Some of their risks are going to fail, and it will cost them points. But the defense's new structure will align with its overall fast-paced style.
That intensity is exactly what they want to enforce.
“Just setting the tone,” said Brown. “Picking up earlier above half court, making teams have trouble getting to their offense. We know what it feels like when a team does that to us, so we got to be the team that does it to them. Try to disrupt them, pick them up, don't let it be easy, all that type stuff.”
On offense, Boston’s bigs are flying around, setting screens, and finding open space. Their guards are running in transition, and outlet passes are whizzing above everyone’s heads at all times.
That same energy will transfer to the defense. The risks, rotations, and inevitable mistakes are all a part of the new identity the Celtics have begun to form on the defensive side of the ball.
But in order for it to work, they have to have each other’s backs.
“It's just all about covering each other,” Minott said. “So, if I see one player cover another teammate, now it's my responsibility to cover him and pick up for his help defense. And I just have to have that trust that someone else is gonna pick up for me. That's just one of our ideals, just protecting each other.”