It’s almost halfway through the NBA schedule. Just one game separates the Boston Celtics (31-9) from the halfway point of the regular season. Now is a good moment to examine some of the stats that have shaped their success thus far and may help them achieve their NBA championship aspirations.
.. Without Jayson Tatum in the lineup, the net rating is 7.0.
For many years, when Tatum came off the bench, the Celtics usually had trouble. That is typical. Without their best player, even the top NBA teams struggle. When Nikola Jokić leaves the court, the decline can be significant, as it has been with the Denver Nuggets throughout the years.
Without Tatum, Boston would have the third-best net rating in the NBA. That may be the most startling statistic the Celtics have produced in their 31-9 start out of all of their great ones. When their top player is not playing, they have the statistical profile of a team that could win the championship. If Tatum’s minutes were eliminated entirely, they would have the 10th-ranked offense and the second-ranked defense in the league. Even though they won 57 games the previous season, they lead the league in net rating; even without Tatum, they had a higher net rating than they did overall.
Almost every lineup of players from the Celtics’ regular rotation has been successful when they are on the court. Their performance in Tatum’s absence has brought attention to Jaylen Brown’s development as a facilitator, the wealth of elite talent surrounding Tatum, and the bench’s capacity to support the team’s top players. It’s amazing how good of a team they are when a first-team All-NBA player decides to take a nap.
Key absences have barely been surmounted by the Celtics. In Tatum’s absence, they are 3-0 without Brown, 8-2 without Kristaps PorziŇ}is, 2-1 without Jrue Holiday, and 1-2 without Derrick White.
Per game, post-up possessions: 7.8
The Celtics have turned the low post into a weapon after essentially ignoring it for the entire previous season. They are second only to Jokić’s Nuggets in the statistic of post-up possessions used per game. The addition of Porziņģis has contributed to the growing admiration for post-ups, but Boston will also pass the ball to their wings in low-post situations. Tatum’s post-up rate (2.6) is almost identical to the Celtics’ team total from the previous campaign (3.1). In the post, no other wing has produced as much work.
The Celtics’ roster looks good with the new trick. They frequently have four outside shooting options surrounding whoever is moving slowly, thus their spacing is helpful. When a rival sends out a double team, Boston is practically invited to shoot an open three-point shot. The Celtics players are capable of dominating single coverage if assistance is not provided, particularly if they choose the appropriate matchup. Although Porziņģis has killed switches, he doesn’t frequently post up opposition centers. In the post, he has scored an impressive 1.43 points per possession.
After the previous season, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla left with the opinion that the team needed to start producing more curveballs. The offense is now more varied because to their ability to post up. It has yielded high-quality results both outside and inside the paint arc. Few teams possess such variety, as evidenced by their extensive roster of post-up players who are all proficient 3-point shooters and capable of creating off the bounce.
3. 29 percent of offensive rebounds were made.
Mazzulla wanted the Celtics to find strategies this season to win on non-shooting nights. Boston has improved to an average offensive rebounding squad, despite the failure of one of his other training camp philosophies, forcing turnovers. The Celtics’ rise to 15th place on the offensive boards is noteworthy, especially considering that they placed 25th the previous season and significantly worse when Robert Williams III was sidelined.
In terms of statistics, the Celtics are more dependent on offensive rebounds than the majority of other teams. Cleaning the Glass reports that they average 118.2 points per 100 putback plays, which puts them in fourth place for offensive effectiveness on extra chances. Thus, for them, every second-chance opportunity is magnified.
Mazzulla has instructed players to crash from the corner rather than punting on those, as they did for a large portion of the previous campaign. Oshae Brissett is one signing that has proven beneficial, but the Celtics have primarily increased their concentration on the glass. If Luke Kornet had played enough minutes to be included on the leaderboard, he would be ranked sixth in offensive rebound %. Holiday is on track to record the most offensive rebounds of his career at the age of 33. Mazzulla has gotten more rebounds out of Kornet, Holiday, Al Horford, and Payton Pritchard, among others, because of his concentration on the region.
Some of the other margins are also being handled by the Celtics. They top the league in opponents’ free-throw attempt rate, so even if they don’t draw many free throw attempts, they more than make up for it. One of their few conspicuous statistical weaknesses is that they seldom force turnovers; however, they offset this by treating the ball extremely well on the other end of the court. Mazzulla was determined to find new means to prevail. Despite not having Dennis Rodmans all over the court, the Celtics have learned to embrace the extra opportunities they do create.
4. Per game, blocked shots: 6.4
It should come as no surprise that the Celtics lead the NBA in blocked shots per game given that every player in their starting lineup typically provides rim protection. Their point guard, White, is one spot ahead of Bam Adebayo in 28th place for blocks per game. When it comes to guard blocks per game, White tops the NBA. Holiday comes in at number ten. In terms of block percentage, Porziņċis is ranked 12th. Horford, who typically plays as a substitute, is ranked 25th. Though Kornet, the third-string center, hasn’t played enough minutes to be included on the leaderboard, he actually has a greater block % than Horford or PorziŇģis.
Because they acquire their rim protection from so many different sources, the Celtics can sometimes be overpowering. Cleaning the Glass reports that, excluding garbage time minutes, only 29.5% of the shots Boston’s defense has let up have come from within four feet of the hoop. The Warriors, Heat, and Timberwolves are the only three teams that have prevented layup attempts more well. The Celtics have actually allowed more 3-pointers to be made beyond the break than any other team, but they give up those kinds of shots in order to deny opponents the more effective looks from the corner and the paint. Thus far, the scheme has produced the second-best defense in the NBA.
More than anything else, the adaptability is striking. Only elite 3-point shooters with the ability to block shots on the other end of the court are starting for the Celtics. That combination has never been used in the design of many teams.
5. Back-to-back record: 5-2
Mazzulla expressed his goal for the Celtics to become “the toughest, most physical, most open-minded team” the day before training camp began. While a crushing defeat to Milwaukee recently serves as a stark exception, other signs point to his team beginning to exhibit similar qualities.
In the second leg of back-to-backs, the Celtics are 5-2. When tied or leading after three quarters, they are 28-2. When trailing at the half, they are 5-2. This season, they have only dropped back-to-back games twice. They have won nineteen games in a row, which is three more than any other team as of Tuesday. They also have an impressive 21.4 net rating when it matters most. At home, they are 19-0. They were also tied for the most road victories (12) as of Tuesday afternoon. The Celtics are 23-7 while playing other teams.500 or higher. Only the Timberwolves (20-9) have more than 15 such victories going into Tuesday compared to the rest of the league. The Celtics have also triumphed over the weak, going 12-1 versus teams with net ratings in the bottom ten so far, according to.
The Celtics have excelled in nearly every circumstance, as Mazzulla had hoped. They must now ensure that they haven’t already reached their pinnacle.
