The Boston Celtics are going to struggle on the defensive glass this season. Having trouble ending possessions and limiting second-chance opportunities is an unfortunate weakness. However, given their roster changes in the front court, that's the reality they must navigate.
Jayson Tatum has led Boston in defensive rebounds per game every year from his second season onward. Gone are seven-footers Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet. Al Horford, one of the team's stalwarts, is also no longer there to help on the glass.
The Celtics' solutions to this problem will stem from leaning on their strengths, in the hope of creating the necessary advantages to overcome their imbalance.
For instance, the hosts started small with Chris Boucher at center in Sunday's 138-107 preseason win over the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden. Who got the start in an exhibition tilt is inconsequential. What matters is how that unit fared.
As examined over the summer, deploying small-ball lineups with Boucher at the five can unleash dynamic offensive combinations that combine that success with generating turnovers and thriving in transition. That's a path to overcoming concerns on the defensive end, especially regarding closing out possessions. At least that's the hope.
Sunday, against the Cavaliers' backups, a unit featuring Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, and Boucher outscored Cleveland 9-3 in an opening shift that lasted for 3:48.
That group shot 4/6 while holding the visitors to a 1/11 performance from the field. They yielded two offensive rebounds and only generated one turnover. It was an encouraging glimpse. However, one can't lose sight of the caliber of competition in a preseason setting. The same applies to this being a short shift.
The Celtics want to create chaos
Monday at the Auerbach Center, Hardwood Houdini spoke with Joe Mazzulla about what he saw from his team's first unit against the Cavaliers. What he pointed to was the Celtics' philosophy and experimentation that stems from their roster's makeover.
"We have the depth to be able to do a lot of different things and be chaotically structured in what we're trying to do," conveyed Mazzulla. "So, at the end of the day, we're going to go with what gives us an opportunity to have that chaotic structure and put us in [a] position to give us a chance to win every single night. So, it was a good start on that.
"But at the same time, we just have to continue to get better and learn new things. So, guys like Chris, Josh [Minott], X [Xavier Tillman Sr.], all those guys are going to be playing the four, playing the five, playing all these different things, and we have to quickly be able to do it, to execute on both ends of the floor. So, continuing to get better at that."
An option like this won't work all of the time. And it probably won't dictate personnel, forcing the opposition to match the Celtics in going small -- certainly not as small as a team playing Boucher at the five and someone like Hauser or Brown at the four.
However, these small-ball lineups have the offensive talent, the speed, and perimeter defense to be a net positive on many occasions. It will be a fascinating experiment to track this season.
After seeing how it looked on Sunday, Jaylen Brown shared his outlook for that approach with Hardwood Houdini after practice on Monday.
"We'll see," said a candid Brown. "I mean, it's preseason. We've been playing against — we haven't played against an actual team. They've been sitting a lot of their guys. So, preseason analytics is — when you get to the middle of the season -- is obsolete.
"So, we're exploring some things that could potentially work for us. Chris has been playing amazing as well. Shooting the ball well, high energy, but against different teams, on different nights, I'm sure it'll vary and change. So, we just got to be flexible enough and patient enough to stick with it."