After starting the season with one of the worst Def ratings in the league (bottom 5 if I recall,) the Celtics as of writing this are 7th out of 30 teams. Couple that with the 2nd highest offensive rating and we are the best team in the league in terms of Net rating. We also have the best record.
At one point Boston was 28th.
Notice that they went from 8th to 7th after the GS game.
How is Boston such a good defensive team?
1) The fg defense (eFG%) is excellent, but not tops. Of the four standard factors, it is often argued that this stat is the most important for the overall rating; and if you used your 2023 Celtics' rating as a guide, you'd see a confirmation of that: 7th in eFG%, and also 7th in Def Rtg.
2) As it's been all season, Boston ranks low in causing turnovers - a lowly 26th. This should be surprising, given the team's 11th place showing last season. That is a
huge difference, and obviously not the explanation for the recent great defense.
3) Defensive Rebounding is another story entirely, and another story compared to last year: after a few days in 2nd place, Boston has regained the top spot, at .783 - compared to 11th last year.
4) FT makes per FG attempt. This stat is another area of excellence for this year's Celtics; basically Boston does not foul, compared to other teams; the squad ranks third in the league, at .180, compared to ninth last season. If you look at fouls per game, Boston is actually second lowest in the league.
What can we say about the differences between Ime-D and Joe-D? Last season there was more aggression and more gambling, this season more of a priority on discipline and maintaining a perimeter. Keeping everyone on a string supports good defensive rebounding. Cutting down on the gambling, even at the cost of causing fewer turnovers, also cuts down on fouling.
You can be confident that Boston's trajectory for team defense is a positive one, just as their offensive trajectory last season was. There's just no substitute for repetition, and as Rob gradually integrates, and as the whole team gets settled in with him, and as Marcus Smart ups his effort (yes, he started slow on defense, even as he took on a lot more responsibility as the floor general) as the playoffs near, we'll see progressively higher rankings.
I'm just guessing here, but when all is said and done I'm guessing we are a top 3 offense and a top 5 defense with the best record in the league. That would be a great place to be heading into the playoffs healthy.
I share your optimism. The most important thing is health; given good health, this team can get back in the Finals again.
One thing that was predictable: fans are slow to recognize that the Celtics have gone from being a poor defensive team to being very good.