« Reply #293 on: February 22, 2022, 10:11:53 AM »
4 seems a tad high for power rankings, but I will take it NBA.com!
(4)
Boston Celtics
Last Week: 7 ↑
Record: 34-26
Pace: 97.3 (24) OffRtg: 110.3 (18) DefRtg: 104.9 (2) NetRtg: +5.4 (4)
The Celtics went into the break with a confounding loss to the Pistons, which ended both their nine-game winning streak and their streak of six straight games holding their opponent under a point per possession. Obviously, in regard to the defense, it’s noteworthy that they were missing both Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III. And the Celtics’ destruction of the Sixers on Tuesday improved them to 12-7 in games against the other teams in the East’s top eight. That’s the best record (and the most games played) within the group, and they’ll begin their post-break schedule with a visit to Brooklyn.
The aforementioned defense (best in the league by a huge margin as they’ve won 11 of their last 13 games) is the main fuel behind the Celtics’ rise from 11th to sixth in the Eastern Conference. But the offense has also been improved, and the improvement has come with more passing. The Celtics rank seventh in ball movement since Christmas (348 passes per 24 minutes of possession), up from 17th prior to that (322).
Three numbers to know…
1. The Celtics’ starting lineup – Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford and Williams – has outscored its opponents by 26.5 points per 100 possessions, the best mark among 24 lineups that have played at least 200 minutes together It’s allowed just 88.8 points per 100, the best mark among 63 lineups that have played at least 100 minutes together.
2. The Celtics are 34-26, with the point differential (+5.4 per game, best in the East) of a team that’s 42-18. That’s the league’s biggest differential between a team’s “expected” wins and its actual wins. They have the league’s fifth worst record (11-18) in games that were within five points in the last five minutes and lead the league with four losses in games they led by double-digits in the fourth quarter.
3. The Celtics have switched 40% of ball-screens, the league’s highest rate (and up from 29% last season), according to Second Spectrum tracking.
Week 19: @ BKN, @ DET, @ IND
https://www.nba.com/news/power-rankings-2021-22-week-19
« Last Edit: February 22, 2022, 11:13:49 AM by Goldstar88 »
Logged
Quoting Nick from the now locked Ime thread:
Quote
At some point you have to blame the performance on the court on the players on the court. Every loss is not the coach's fault and every win isn't because of the players.