10 Things to Remember from Celtics and Wizards: Into the Celticsverse

10 Things to Remember from Celtics and Wizards: Into the Celticsverse.

The Boston Celtics overcame the Washington Wizards in spite of a terrible defensive performance in the first half.

#1 Defense of transitions in the first half
In the first half of their game on Friday, the Boston Celtics had trouble keeping up with the Washington Wizards’ fast-paced play. When engaging in a foot race with Boston’s defense, Washington was particularly successful at leaking out after missed baskets and turnovers.

In the first quarter, Washington scored eight more fast-break points, for a total of 18 in the second quarter. That’s 26 points in the face of a poor defense that let the Wizards stay in the game until the half.

Boston had to anticipate that the Wizards would pick up the tempo anytime they had the opportunity. They are second in the NBA in terms of transition field goal percentage and fourth in terms of transition possessions. Right now, the Celtics are rested. It’s unlikely that they were ill-prepared for scouting reports as well. That means that the most important factors are work and focus.

Joe Mazzulla’s club has been tight on both ends of the court the whole season. But in the last few games, there has occasionally been some slippage. According to Mazzulla, the problem isn’t so much bad habits as it is terrible stretches. That is something I can agree with. It’s important to avoid making those stretches a habit.

#2 An inward emphasis
The Celtics had yet another difficult night from the perimeter. They made 11 of 34 long-range hits, or 32.4%. Of six, Sam Hauser was one. Tatum scored three out of ten. Jaylen Brown had a 0–1 score. Derrick White had a 0–4 record.

These are the kinds of nights. Occasionally, they occur one after the other.

I thought it was a good idea for Boston to use their size advantage and apply pressure to the rim early in the game. Their perimeter difficulties were less noticeable when they had that mentality. Rather, the Celtics discovered methods to reach their locations in the mid-range and near the rim. The offense continued to flow.

Above all, no one’s head lowered. Everyone maintained their focus. They carried out. They raised the temperature. Furthermore, the defense found a new gear in the second half despite the missed.

Everybody has been pleading with us for the capability to change our focus from game to game. There will be evenings when threes fall and the rim appears to be eighteen feet broad. Once that occurs, start shooting. On other evenings, when it’s covered, drive up to the rack and let the shots fall where they will.

That’s the strategy Mazzulla’s club employed on Friday, and it helped them win the game in spite of their first-half defensive problems and minimal success from outside the area.

#3 I understand why Boston needs to be confined. The All-Star break is approaching quickly. The season began in October, and there have been a lot of games since then. At the summit of the Eastern Conference, the Celtics have some breathing room. In the league, their record is the best. Sometimes it’s simple to let up on the gas. You anticipate to win, especially in games, only by virtue of your talent.

But the Celtics have to go farther. They must keep in mind that each victory is a step closer to developing the winning habits we constantly hear about. The regular season may appear unimportant if your objectives revolve around making the playoffs, but in my opinion, it’s anything but. Plays are committed to memory at this point. where everyone becomes adept at bringing out the best in one another. Most significantly, it’s the development and refinement of grit and resilience.

I understand that a game can’t always be lopsided. To be honest, I wouldn’t find that fun in any case. The next challenge for this team will be to learn how to maintain focus night after night, no matter who they are up against. Thankfully, it’s just a little step.

When facing the Wizards, Kristaps Porzingis was a walking mismatch. He was the only one on the team with the same size and talent level for his position. 34 points were the outcome, 14 of which were from the line, when he made a perfect shot.

I thought I should make them pay, don’t I? stated Porzingis. “Joe, Brad, and the front office brought me here for those kinds of games, to punish those mismatches and create some advantages for us. They just traded away their five-man, and they don’t really have a big man.”

Porzingis seemed to be a real danger to score whenever he had the ball. Seeing his post-work was enjoyable. His footwork is still quite impressive. It’s his spatial mobility, though, that never ceases to amaze me.

This season, I have often brought up this play. It is a side-line out-of-bounds (SLOB) play, and it is Boston’s “slice action.” The Celtics usually use Tatum in this situation. All-NBA forward Porzingis, however, was the play’s designated scorer as he took a break.

Observe Porzingis as he exits White’s frame. He gestures with his body that he is open to receiving the pass. The ball is given to him. He looks to the rim, dunks with one step, no dribbles. On an NBA court, that is a 7’2″ center running passing routes. He was the first unicorn for a reason.

That movement is visible once more right here. Observes how he sides into the post while sealing his man. Before he even gets the ball, he already has the upper hand. After splitting the defenders with his gather on the drop-step, he has the height and space advantage to finish the jumper.

Plays such as this one serve as a constant reminder of how crucial Porzignis will be to the Celtics’ hopes of winning a title this year. The cherry on top is that he’s a lot of fun to cheer for.

#5 A formidable Tatum match
Alright, Tatum wasn’t making the kind of perimeter shots we would have preferred. He attempted ten deep shots, hitting three of them. It would have been a great night for him on the perimeter if he had made one more shot and ended the game with 40% shooting from beyond the arc. I always err on the side of optimism when the margins are so thin.

Tatum was everywhere when he wasn’t shooting from the outside. He created for others, rebounded at his typical high level, and played strong defense in the second half. In a game early in February, he nearly had a triple-double while surrounded by several players who were on the All-Star team. What’s not to enjoy?

Tatum’s ability to move around the floor in space is one of my favorite things about him. He is adept enough to move past a defense and powerful enough to battle through contact. The Wizards don’t put up much of a fight in the aforementioned clip, but Tatum’s overall play is consistent with what we’ve seen from him all season. Not enough credit is given to his court navigating skills.