#1 – Magnet ball
Shooting in basketball carries a big share of variance and luck. Even the greatest shooter of all time, Stephen Curry, is below 50% from beyond the arc on wide-open attempts. This means you’d still have a better chance to win a coin-flip game than to see Curry knock down a three when he is open. Not that shooting threes is like tossing a coin, but I think there are some similarities.
And yesterday, the Celtics kept benefiting from that coin flip.
It started with Derrick White, launching a 34-footer
after receiving the ball with less than a second on the clock.
Seeing how responsive the ball was to their shooting attempts, the Celtics kept firing. They ended up taking 59 threes, the highest total of the season — and they made 29 of them, tying the record from last season against the Knicks in the home opener.
What’s even crazier is that every Celtic who played more than 10 minutes attempted at least one triple. Yes, even Neemias Queta. And yes, he made it!
Out of a Spain pick-and-roll action, Jordan Walsh swings it back to Nemi, and that’s a beauty.
#2 – Taking away the rim
While the offense was impressive, the defense also showed great discipline after a complicated night in NY. The threat that the New Orleans offense presented was heavy rim pressure, with 42% of their shots attempted within 4 feet (1st in the league).
Yet, the Celtics were able to bring that number down to 22%, taking away the rim from the Pelicans, who were forced to rely much more on floaters and mid-range shots than layups.
The play above is a great example of how well the Celtics protected the paint, with Queta anchoring the rim, Sam Hauser staying connected to the ball, Walsh helping at the top of the key, and White ready to help or close out on Derik Queen.
The Celtics were helped by the lack of talent and spacing, but they remained disciplined all game long to make up for their previous defensive collapse. Looking forward to seeing that discipline when the playoffs start.
#3 – Jaylen rim pressure
On the other end, while the Pelicans couldn’t find a way to the rim, Jaylen Brown showed how relentless of a driver he has become. The 2024 Finals MVP forced seven free throws and scored on five drives throughout the game.
He did a great job identifying and attacking mismatches early in the possession so he could get downhill without being slowed by a second defender.
His handle and ability to turn the corner were on display last night, and once he gets up to speed, it becomes really hard to stop him. Very nice footwork at the end of the drive to jump off two feet for better control and go around the block attempt from Kevon Looney.
While his ability to get to the rim was elite last night, he had some trouble with the Pelicans’ aggressive coverages.
#4 – Dealing with gravity
The night before, it was Jayson Tatum who had six turnovers against the Knicks. This time, it was Brown who lost the ball seven times against the Pelicans. The young team’s game plan was to force the ball out of Brown’s hands and apply pressure whenever he had it.
In pick-and-roll situations, their big men were aggressive at the level of the screen to slow down the All-Star and force occasional turnovers.
As Brown was killing them inside, they kept bringing more bodies into the paint to force kick-outs, ready to close out wherever JB would pass the ball. Here, Poole sees Brown is stuck and forced to pass, and is able to steal the ball intended for Walsh on the wing.
These two games where JB and JT struggled to take care of the ball against aggressive defenses showed why they need each other to stretch the floor and avoid being the sole focus of the opponent’s game plan.
#5 – PP & Vooch off the bench
Speaking of duos, that new two-man scoring punch off the bench with Payton Pritchard and Nikola Vucevic could be really dangerous offensively. With PP’s scoring ability and growing gravity, combined with Vucevic’s screening and floor-spacing, this bench unit could become elite on offense.
Last night, they played a lot together, like in this action. PP throws the ball to Vooch and runs toward him to initiate a handoff at full speed. Because PP is quick and Vucevic is a threat from outside, the defense doesn’t know what to prioritize, creating hesitation and leading to open layups.
On top of that, this lineup offers great spacing and can really stretch defenses that try to take away the drive.
#6 – White sneaky extra-possession
Games are won in the details, and Joe Mazzulla knows that. Safe to say he must have loved these sneaky plays from Derrick White to generate extra possessions.
It started on the very first action of the game with that sneaky offensive rebound from behind, leading to an open three.
Then, he helped Luka Garza secure an offensive rebound by crashing the glass while the Celtics center battled Jordan Hawkins.
And to cap off these three extra possessions generated in the first half, a classic steal from behind on a rookie.
#7 – 100% win rate with +30 assists
For the 13th time this season, the Celtics recorded more than 30 assists — a rare sight for a team with the lowest assist rate in the NBA. Yet, they are undefeated when reaching that mark.
Looking at the opponents, it also feels like the ball moves more against lower-tier teams, as most of these games came against the Nets, Wizards, or Bucks.
#8 – Red Auerbach award
Payton Pritchard won’t be eligible for Sixth Man of the Year, but he most certainly deserves the Red Auerbach Award. The guard has delivered game after game, despite losing his spot in the starting lineup.
Whether as a starter or off the bench, Payton has consistently brought the spark that allowed the Celtics to be the best version of themselves and outperform expectations in what some saw as a gap year.
#9 – From a gap year to second seed
The last time the Celtics weren’t a top-two seed, Brad Stevens was still coaching. Even more impressive, over the last seven seasons, the Celtics have ranked top four in Net Rating in six of them.
This season might be the craziest yet in terms of performance, as the Celtics finished with the second-best offense in the NBA (third last year) and the fifth-best defense (same as last year).
#10 – Ready for a revenge playoffs run?
The upcoming playoff run could look a lot like last year’s. Orlando is very likely to be Boston’s first-round matchup, and the Knicks could be waiting in the semifinals.
Will they be ready this time? Exciting times ahead as the Celtics close out an extraordinary regular season.
