#1 – Aiming for weaknesses
Entering the game, the Washington Wizards were 26th at limiting shots at the rim and last at protecting the defensive rebound. So the Celtics just went for the paint and made sure they put pressure on the Wizards’ defensive frontcourt.
Overall, by the end, the Celtics created 19 more possessions thanks to offensive rebounds. Like Joe Mazzulla said after the game, you don’t want to rely only on offensive rebounds, but it must be controlled, especially on a night where the jump shots weren’t going in.
#2 – Neemias Queta eruption to get going
To start things off nicely, Queta decided to roll over the entire Wizards defense. He grabbed a lot of offensive rebounds and scored from putback situations, but the Celtics coaching staff also made sure to draw plays for him. Here, a Spain pick-and-roll where Sam Hauser sets the back-screen that blocks Alex Sarr. With Derrick White and Jayson Tatum in each corner, Queta has all the space he needs to finish at the rim.
It felt like he was always placed in the right position at the right time. On this beautiful drive and dish from Jaylen Brown, he arrives with perfect timing to place his layup. He also showed that he has developed a nice touch on the floater.
Like often, the space he was able to use was created by his ability to screen and roll. On that possession, he understands that the Wizards are switching and puts his defender on his back to have a better chance to catch the ball on the roll. Then he used the size advantage to dominate at the rim.
#3 – 12 minutes to put the Wizards away
Looking back at the game, it felt like the Celtics were largely in control entering the 4th quarter. The 20-point lead felt natural, but in reality the Celtics only dominated the 2nd quarter – but it was enough.
They started the second quarter with an interesting play that involved four different players, with a first movement starting with Payton Pritchard on the ball, then a second movement starting with Derrick White running toward the ball and Luka Garza.
This movement around the three-point line created chaos and space so the Celtics could once again attack the rim. During that stretch, the Celtics also dominated on defense, leading to a lot of transitions. This gave us some great highlights like this spin move from Queta, who was unstoppable last night.
This great momentum over those 12 minutes was enough to remain in control in the second half despite losing it 59 to 47.
#4 – Balanced scoring
There were questions about the Celtics’ balance with the return of Jayson Tatum. Last night’s game was a great display that there is enough room for everyone on a winning team.
Nobody took more than 20 shots, but six players scored at least 15 points and seven attempted eight field goals or more. There were also eight players with multiple assists, showing that the ball moves and everyone is involved.
But the scoring wasn’t only balanced player-wise. The Celtics also showed a very versatile performance in terms of shooting profile: 19 field goals made at the rim, 10 from the mid-range, and 12 beyond the line.
With the jump shots not falling, the Celtics didn’t get stuck in the mud and adapted. They were able to score a lot from putback situations, turning misses into new possessions, like Baylor Scheierman and his seven missed shots but four offensive rebounds.
#5 – Baylor feel was showing
Scheierman is among those players where you can see the game slowing down for him, so he is often a step ahead. This play with Sam Hauser is a great example of that feel for the game. He looks like he got caught, but he knows where Sam is located and finds him without even looking at him beforehand.
His feel is obvious on a highlight like this one but can be seen in less flashy situations too. His understanding of the game makes him a very good offensive rebounder. As the Celtics wanted to dominate that aspect of the game, they relied on him to put pressure on his matchup anytime a shot was triggered by one of his teammates.
It’s not a surprise that he keeps being the player with the most minutes behind the core six-man rotation late in the season.
#6 – Off-ball Tatum is a win-win
To get back to his final form, Jayson will need time, but his influence on a defense structure is already back. When he is off the ball, the defense still feels his gravity, which gives great space to his teammates. But it also gives him more speed. While he is getting back in shape and learning how to trust his legs again, having him off the ball to start the play can benefit him and make him a bigger threat.
On top of the speed, having him off the ball is a great way to optimize his shooting threat. When he doesn’t have the rock, the defense still keeps an eye on him. And as soon as he receives the ball, there are immediate collapses because the threat couldn’t be greater than Jayson Tatum with the rock and space.
On the play above, as soon as the basketball touches his hands, two defenders run to him, leaving White in the corner, and JT doesn’t hesitate for a second to swing the ball. A great example of why Tatum isn’t breaking the Celtics’ balance – he brings even more gravity and more connectivity to exploit defensive mistakes.
Of course, we want Tatum to play his isolation, but the impact he already has on the court when he doesn’t have the ball is back to elite – leading to great possessions for the team.
#7 – Tatum and Queta relationship
Speaking of Tatum, his relationship with Queta in the pick-and-roll has been growing through these first four games. And this might be a key to the Celtics’ success this season. When the offense was stuck last year, the Celtics didn’t hesitate to spam Tatum and Kornet pick-and-rolls. They could be doing the same this year with Queta.
The quality of Queta’s screens and his ability to play as a hub on offense offer a lot of possibilities for the Celtics to build around this duo.
On top of the benefits for them, this also creates great opportunities for the three other players around them, like here on that White triple.
It’s the same play that gave a layup to Queta, but this time the defense put more bodies in the paint, leading to a pass to Hauser. Tre Johnson rotates and that leaves White open in the corner. This is all caused by the pick-and-roll led by Tatum and Queta.
#8 – Could Tristan Vukčević be an interesting pick-up?
If there is one thing we learned over the last year, it is that the Celtics can turn a center on a two-way contract into a starter on a competitive team – and after watching this last game, I wonder if Tristan Vukčević could be the next one.
He has been in and out of the rotation for the Wizards over the last three years but could bring some interesting upside to the Celtics’ interior rotation. He has a great touch and we know how much Brad Stevens loves a center who can shoot.
Thoughts on the Serbian center?
#9 – There is always room to be better
I might be overthinking here but aren’t there always ways to improve, even in a game where you had a 30-point lead? Well, looking at last night’s game there is an area where the Celtics should have been better: transition defense.
The Wizards had a 1.63 points-per-possession efficiency in transition and this could be costly against better teams. While this might be due to a lack of seriousness because of the quality of the opponent, it could also happen against more competitive teams. With players crashing the offensive glass, there can be some lapses in the defense when the tagging-up isn’t well coordinated.
Could be worth monitoring against better teams coming to town over the next few weeks.
#10 – Some French influence in Boston?
Before the game, Joe Mazzulla talked about his meeting with Guillaume Vizade, Le Mans Basket head coach. They met back in France this summer and Mazzulla said he learned from the time they spent together. Could France have an influence on the Celtics’ new playstyle? More on that soon…
