The Boston Celtics are 10-10. They have occasionally performed with the flair of a first place team, but they are in need of consistency, and soon. Here are five ways they can shake the cobwebs off.
The Boston Celtics are 10-10. That means that we have a decent sample size of the strengths and weaknesses of this team to consider moving forward to both the trade deadline, and then — eventually — the rest of the season.
There have been interesting flashes with the team, including handling the Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers with the flair of a first-place team. There has also been a wide variety of disappointing things to watch unfold. Paul Pierce has dubbed them “the biggest disappointment in the NBA.”
Here’s a short list of suggestions as to what could be done to right the ship.
1. Try starting Marcus Smart
Marcus Smart brings great energy and — as we’ve speculated previously — unpredictability to the floor. He’s a defensive dynamo and one reason why the defense of the Celtics remains so strong. Start Marcus Smart if you want to apply immediate pressure toward not starting the game with a deficit, as has been the recent case.
2. Don’t let Gordon Hayward cut to the basket if he isn’t going to finish
While Gordon Hayward made a nice “Princeton cut” against the Atlanta Hawks, the kick-outs we’ve seen from him as he makes the occasional drive to the basket leave me cautious: Is there any reason why something can’t be drawn up where — given his current speed — he’s treated like a player existing somewhere between a DeMar DeRozan/LaMarcus Aldridge mid-range spectrum?
3. Keep working on teamwork
It feels like the team’s made decent progress on this over the past few games, but it’s important to realize the value of teamwork: Making the extra pass increases the likelihood of getting off a clean shot, but that isn’t all that teamwork can bring to the table.
How much more can be brought to the table? Look at a recent study called “Achieving teamwork in naturalistic sport settings.”
Part of the study focuses on how 10 French male soccer players process information as they play a game, and it offers up intriguing data worth mulling over: 38 percent of players received information by relying upon themselves (the trajectory of on-ball and off-ball players, as well as the ball itself); 17.5 percent of players received information by processing information from a bird’s eye view-like perspective; and roughly 16 percent of players received information based on sharing information.
Although soccer is a different game, the point to be made here is an obvious one: Imagine how much more of a team’s game could be opened up if the players shared information with each other more often.
4. Ensure that Tatum is sharper on defense
During a short stretch in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks, Jayson Tatum kept getting beat off the dribble. It echoed a recent reaction of his against the New York Knicks. After that sequence was over, Tatum committed himself too hard and too theatrically toward someone in an attempt to defend a corner 3, flew by said player, and then — after taking the time to set himself — the Mavs player took (and made) the shot.
5. Play tense, but play with joy
It’s okay to play with a tense awareness of your teammates, knowing that you’re ready to snap into action the moment you’re needed, knowing that the five of you can only open something if you work together. It’s also okay to play with joy.
When it comes to addressing the mental component of all this — which is something Marcus Morris recently flagged — then this shouldn’t be forgotten either. And it doesn’t matter what unlocks it. If you’re Joel Embiid, it could be playing pickup games in South Philly. It could be giving back. It could be going to a show. The team is playing with a .250 win percentage on zero days rest.
Whatever it takes, there has to be some way for the Boston Celtics to get back to enjoying the game of basketball.