Boston Celtics: The Defense Has Been Slacking Recently
Over the course of the last 10 games, the Boston Celtics have allowed their opponents to score more than 100 points seven times. The Celtics lost six of those games.
The Boston Celtics have definitely been a defensive-minded team for most of the season. They are fourth in the NBA in defensive rating (103.4) and they force the most turnovers per game in the league (15.8). Recently though, it feels like the Celtics are always trying to run and gun with their opponent.
Currently they are just outside the top 10 in offensive rating (103.8), but over the past 10 games, the Celtics have given up more than 100 points three times and more than 110 points three times. The Celtics were without Jae Crowder for eight of these games and they went 4-4 without him.
In the last game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night, the Celtics lost 116-109 on the road and Crowder did play. Portland shot 45.6 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from three.
When Crowder is back in the starting lineup permanently (he might miss tonight’s game against the Golden State Warriors), hopefully the Celtics will fully get back to their defensive identity. Boston is still very good at forcing turnovers, but they are having a hard time getting big stops down the stretch right now.
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The good news is that the Celtics’ offense has been putting up a lot of points lately. Boston is fifth in the NBA in points per game (105.6), but they do have one of the worst team field goal percentages in the league (43.9). Boston has been enjoying career years from multiple players like Crowder, Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley, but they’ve relied too much on their offense to get them back in games.
Earlier in the season, defense was the reason the Celtics were winning games, even when they had no business winning. Since the Celtics shoot very poorly from the field as a team, they are going to have to get back to their defensive-minded ways to finish these last seven games strong.
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The numbers suggest that the Celtics are still one of the best defensive teams in the league, but they are letting up on too many defensive possessions, especially the ones they need. In Thursday’s game against Portland, they needed a big stop in the last couple minutes, but they could not get the stop they needed.
Defense can help them fight for home-court advantage in the playoffs, which is something the Celtics want. It is not going to be easy at all to contain one of the best regular season teams ever in the Golden State Warriors Friday night, so if they get dismantled tonight, it is understandable.
The Warriors have only lost seven games this year, and they have only scored less than 100 points in five out of 75 games, which is rather impressive. The game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday should be a good time for the Celtics to bring back their defensive prowess.
Overall
The Celtics have seven games left and they currently in sixth place in the Eastern Conference after losing last night. They are only half a game back of the No. 4 and No. 5 spot and they are one game back of the No. 3 spot. Boston has to play four playoff-caliber teams before the season ends, and this is a good time for them to bring back their defensive grit.
They’re going to need big stops down the stretch in the playoffs if they want to make a run, which is why they should really start focusing on that end of the floor.
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Some nights, the Celtics are not going to have it going on the offensive end, and this is when their defense really needs to kick in. Once Crowder is back playing every night, the team’s defense should improve because of his grit and hustle on that end of the floor.