Celtics Regular Season News

[colincb]

Dan Roche @RochieWBZ 23m

No surprise - Jayson Tatum is your #NBA Eastern Conference Player-of-the-Week - #Celtics - #WBZ (pic via @nba)

[colincb]

Sean Grande @SeanGrandePBP about 6 minutes ago

For the third consecutive day, Boston and Golden State have swapped the NBA's #1 defensive spot. The Celtics, who ranked 12th just before Christmas, again are the NBA's top defense.

https://twitter.com/SeanGrandePBP/status/1501069815276089346

[Vermont Green]

I know this is a little hard to read and it is just another way of showing what has been posted in other ways but what I did is look for each team's starting 5-man line up.  I got this by setting minimums for GP and Minutes, then sorted by Net Rating.  Each of these represent what I understand to be the starters (based on quick spot checking).  For some teams, like PHI, it is off as it does not include Harden so it may be the starters prior to recent trades.  Other team like the LAL and BKN are not showing up because their starters have been injured so much and there is not a single line up that meets the criteria that I set.  Widening the filters then catches a whole bunch of non-starting line ups for other teams.

For most of the teams at the top of the list, BOS, MIN, MIL and so on, the 5-man line up is the current expected starters.  PHX for example is a line up of their starters (Paul, Booker, Bridges, Crowder, Ayton) but surprisingly, their Net Rating is not that good.  I am not sure exactly what this tells us but for our starting line up to be on the top of this list is a good thing.  This is a sizable sample size.  Due to trades and injuries, some top teams like PHI, BKN, and maybe LAL are not represented but you can still read a fair amount from this.


        GP   MIN   NETRTG
BOS   27   343   25.3
MIN   27   337   16.5
MIL   29   292    14.1
NOP   22   345   12.8
DEN   30   556   10.9
MIA   24   339   10.4
GSW   29   347   8.2
UTA   37   589    7.3
PHX   32   625    6.6
SAS   25   308    5.4
TOR   18   299   -0.3
ORL   31   370   -0.4
CHA   30   372   -2.3
HOU   24   291   -3.8
WAS   26   319   -5.4
PHI   21   256   -10.6
NYK   24   428   -13.8
DET   20   254   -18.1
OKC   25   254   -18.2

[Celtics2021]

I know this is a little hard to read and it is just another way of showing what has been posted in other ways but what I did is look for each team's starting 5-man line up.  I got this by setting minimums for GP and Minutes, then sorted by Net Rating.  Each of these represent what I understand to be the starters (based on quick spot checking).  For some teams, like PHI, it is off as it does not include Harden so it may be the starters prior to recent trades.  Other team like the LAL and BKN are not showing up because their starters have been injured so much and there is not a single line up that meets the criteria that I set.  Widening the filters then catches a whole bunch of non-starting line ups for other teams.

For most of the teams at the top of the list, BOS, MIN, MIL and so on, the 5-man line up is the current expected starters.  PHX for example is a line up of their starters (Paul, Booker, Bridges, Crowder, Ayton) but surprisingly, their Net Rating is not that good.  I am not sure exactly what this tells us but for our starting line up to be on the top of this list is a good thing.  This is a sizable sample size.  Due to trades and injuries, some top teams like PHI, BKN, and maybe LAL are not represented but you can still read a fair amount from this.


        GP   MIN   NETRTG
BOS   27   343   25.3
MIN   27   337   16.5
MIL   29   292    14.1
NOP   22   345   12.8
DEN   30   556   10.9
MIA   24   339   10.4
GSW   29   347   8.2
UTA   37   589    7.3
PHX   32   625    6.6
SAS   25   308    5.4
TOR   18   299   -0.3
ORL   31   370   -0.4
CHA   30   372   -2.3
HOU   24   291   -3.8
WAS   26   319   -5.4
PHI   21   256   -10.6
NYK   24   428   -13.8
DET   20   254   -18.1
OKC   25   254   -18.2

Here's some perspective on how dominant the starting lineup is: lineup data goes back to the 2007-2008 season.  The starters have the best net rating of any lineup with at least 300 minutes since they've tracked this.  Best ever.

[Vermont Green]

I know this is a little hard to read and it is just another way of showing what has been posted in other ways but what I did is look for each team's starting 5-man line up.  I got this by setting minimums for GP and Minutes, then sorted by Net Rating.  Each of these represent what I understand to be the starters (based on quick spot checking).  For some teams, like PHI, it is off as it does not include Harden so it may be the starters prior to recent trades.  Other team like the LAL and BKN are not showing up because their starters have been injured so much and there is not a single line up that meets the criteria that I set.  Widening the filters then catches a whole bunch of non-starting line ups for other teams.

For most of the teams at the top of the list, BOS, MIN, MIL and so on, the 5-man line up is the current expected starters.  PHX for example is a line up of their starters (Paul, Booker, Bridges, Crowder, Ayton) but surprisingly, their Net Rating is not that good.  I am not sure exactly what this tells us but for our starting line up to be on the top of this list is a good thing.  This is a sizable sample size.  Due to trades and injuries, some top teams like PHI, BKN, and maybe LAL are not represented but you can still read a fair amount from this.


        GP   MIN   NETRTG
BOS   27   343   25.3
MIN   27   337   16.5
MIL   29   292    14.1
NOP   22   345   12.8
DEN   30   556   10.9
MIA   24   339   10.4
GSW   29   347   8.2
UTA   37   589    7.3
PHX   32   625    6.6
SAS   25   308    5.4
TOR   18   299   -0.3
ORL   31   370   -0.4
CHA   30   372   -2.3
HOU   24   291   -3.8
WAS   26   319   -5.4
PHI   21   256   -10.6
NYK   24   428   -13.8
DET   20   254   -18.1
OKC   25   254   -18.2

Here's some perspective on how dominant the starting lineup is: lineup data goes back to the 2007-2008 season.  The starters have the best net rating of any lineup with at least 300 minutes since they've tracked this.  Best ever.

Can you post the top 10 or 20 of these line ups or just the team and the year or something?  I am curious if they are recognizable, title contenting types or more just statistical anomalies.  How much does this historically correlate with success?

[Neurotic Guy]

I know this is a little hard to read and it is just another way of showing what has been posted in other ways but what I did is look for each team's starting 5-man line up.  I got this by setting minimums for GP and Minutes, then sorted by Net Rating.  Each of these represent what I understand to be the starters (based on quick spot checking).  For some teams, like PHI, it is off as it does not include Harden so it may be the starters prior to recent trades.  Other team like the LAL and BKN are not showing up because their starters have been injured so much and there is not a single line up that meets the criteria that I set.  Widening the filters then catches a whole bunch of non-starting line ups for other teams.

For most of the teams at the top of the list, BOS, MIN, MIL and so on, the 5-man line up is the current expected starters.  PHX for example is a line up of their starters (Paul, Booker, Bridges, Crowder, Ayton) but surprisingly, their Net Rating is not that good.  I am not sure exactly what this tells us but for our starting line up to be on the top of this list is a good thing.  This is a sizable sample size.  Due to trades and injuries, some top teams like PHI, BKN, and maybe LAL are not represented but you can still read a fair amount from this.


        GP   MIN   NETRTG
BOS   27   343   25.3
MIN   27   337   16.5
MIL   29   292    14.1
NOP   22   345   12.8
DEN   30   556   10.9
MIA   24   339   10.4
GSW   29   347   8.2
UTA   37   589    7.3
PHX   32   625    6.6
SAS   25   308    5.4
TOR   18   299   -0.3
ORL   31   370   -0.4
CHA   30   372   -2.3
HOU   24   291   -3.8
WAS   26   319   -5.4
PHI   21   256   -10.6
NYK   24   428   -13.8
DET   20   254   -18.1
OKC   25   254   -18.2

Here's some perspective on how dominant the starting lineup is: lineup data goes back to the 2007-2008 season.  The starters have the best net rating of any lineup with at least 300 minutes since they've tracked this.  Best ever.

I guess if nothing else it suggests that the starting lineup should be competitive with any team.  I think it speaks to how important being healthy and rested will be come playoff time (uh, is it ever not?).  The more I see Horford when he's really got his legs, the more he seems a key to success.  He's been playing like vintage Horford at times and when he does it looks like the starting lineup has 3 all-stars plus Smart and Rob -- Rob improving as the year goes. Both Smart and Rob can have all-star caliber impact.   

HEALTH!  Only 16 games left -- I am really hoping C's don't end up limping into the playoffs.  I know playoff position matters, but I think I'd risk a couple of losses providing some rest to increase the likelihood of health and fresh legs -- esp Al and Rob.

[JBcat]

I know this is a little hard to read and it is just another way of showing what has been posted in other ways but what I did is look for each team's starting 5-man line up.  I got this by setting minimums for GP and Minutes, then sorted by Net Rating.  Each of these represent what I understand to be the starters (based on quick spot checking).  For some teams, like PHI, it is off as it does not include Harden so it may be the starters prior to recent trades.  Other team like the LAL and BKN are not showing up because their starters have been injured so much and there is not a single line up that meets the criteria that I set.  Widening the filters then catches a whole bunch of non-starting line ups for other teams.

For most of the teams at the top of the list, BOS, MIN, MIL and so on, the 5-man line up is the current expected starters.  PHX for example is a line up of their starters (Paul, Booker, Bridges, Crowder, Ayton) but surprisingly, their Net Rating is not that good.  I am not sure exactly what this tells us but for our starting line up to be on the top of this list is a good thing.  This is a sizable sample size.  Due to trades and injuries, some top teams like PHI, BKN, and maybe LAL are not represented but you can still read a fair amount from this.


        GP   MIN   NETRTG
BOS   27   343   25.3
MIN   27   337   16.5
MIL   29   292    14.1
NOP   22   345   12.8
DEN   30   556   10.9
MIA   24   339   10.4
GSW   29   347   8.2
UTA   37   589    7.3
PHX   32   625    6.6
SAS   25   308    5.4
TOR   18   299   -0.3
ORL   31   370   -0.4
CHA   30   372   -2.3
HOU   24   291   -3.8
WAS   26   319   -5.4
PHI   21   256   -10.6
NYK   24   428   -13.8
DET   20   254   -18.1
OKC   25   254   -18.2

Here's some perspective on how dominant the starting lineup is: lineup data goes back to the 2007-2008 season.  The starters have the best net rating of any lineup with at least 300 minutes since they've tracked this.  Best ever.

Let me just say first I LOVE how the Celtics have been playing recently.

Saying that I also feel like they have also had a stroke of good fortune the past couple months. For the first time in what seems like the beginning of the bubble a couple seasons back they have been mostly healthy, while it seemed like it seemed like many of their opponents were missing key players.

So I decided to take a deep dive and look at 10 plus points victories since the start of this year where we had our top starting 5 play.

1/8 99-75 win opponent Knicks
The only key player the Knicks were missing was Rose, so this was pretty much their full roster.

1/23 116-87 win opponent Wizards
The Wizards weren’t missing any key players.

1/25 128-75 win opponent Kings
I was actually at this game, and it seemed like the Kings gave up before the first quarter was even over. Fox missed this game.

1/29 107-97 win opponent Pelicans
Ingram and Valanciunas missed this game.

1/31 122-92 win opponent Heat
Butler, Tucker, and Lowry missed this game.

2/6 116-83 win opponent Magic
No key guys missing.

2/8 126-91 win opponent Nets
Durant, Irving, and Harden missed this game.

2/13 105-95 win opponent Hawks
Collins missed this game.

2/15 135-87 win opponent 76rs
No Harden post trade.

2/24 129-106 win opponent Nets
Durant, Irving, and Simmons missed this game.

That’s a total of 10 games. Most of these games our opponents had key players missing, and/or just a subpar team to begin with.

The 53 point win against the Kings skews the numbers a bit, and the Kings just played awful, but it was a fun game to be at with seats close to the court. Lol

As I said in the beginning I’m loving the way they are playing, but I’m taking these numbers with a grain of salt considering the circumstances of many of our opponents during this stretch. I’ll take it though as I feel prior to this stretch we were a very unlucky team the past couple seasons with injuries and Covid going back to the start of the bubble when Hayward went down with an ankle injury (not to mention his devastating injury a couple seasons before that).

[Celtics2021]

I know this is a little hard to read and it is just another way of showing what has been posted in other ways but what I did is look for each team's starting 5-man line up.  I got this by setting minimums for GP and Minutes, then sorted by Net Rating.  Each of these represent what I understand to be the starters (based on quick spot checking).  For some teams, like PHI, it is off as it does not include Harden so it may be the starters prior to recent trades.  Other team like the LAL and BKN are not showing up because their starters have been injured so much and there is not a single line up that meets the criteria that I set.  Widening the filters then catches a whole bunch of non-starting line ups for other teams.

For most of the teams at the top of the list, BOS, MIN, MIL and so on, the 5-man line up is the current expected starters.  PHX for example is a line up of their starters (Paul, Booker, Bridges, Crowder, Ayton) but surprisingly, their Net Rating is not that good.  I am not sure exactly what this tells us but for our starting line up to be on the top of this list is a good thing.  This is a sizable sample size.  Due to trades and injuries, some top teams like PHI, BKN, and maybe LAL are not represented but you can still read a fair amount from this.


        GP   MIN   NETRTG
BOS   27   343   25.3
MIN   27   337   16.5
MIL   29   292    14.1
NOP   22   345   12.8
DEN   30   556   10.9
MIA   24   339   10.4
GSW   29   347   8.2
UTA   37   589    7.3
PHX   32   625    6.6
SAS   25   308    5.4
TOR   18   299   -0.3
ORL   31   370   -0.4
CHA   30   372   -2.3
HOU   24   291   -3.8
WAS   26   319   -5.4
PHI   21   256   -10.6
NYK   24   428   -13.8
DET   20   254   -18.1
OKC   25   254   -18.2

Here's some perspective on how dominant the starting lineup is: lineup data goes back to the 2007-2008 season.  The starters have the best net rating of any lineup with at least 300 minutes since they've tracked this.  Best ever.

Can you post the top 10 or 20 of these line ups or just the team and the year or something?  I am curious if they are recognizable, title contenting types or more just statistical anomalies.  How much does this historically correlate with success?

I'll post the top one each year.

2008 - Celtics starters (won title) - 19.4
2009 - Cleveland -- Lebron, Ben Wallce, Z, Delonte, Mo Williams (#1 seed, conference finals) - 19.4
2010 - Mavs -- Dirk, Kidd, Marion, JET, Dampier (#2 seed, 1st round loss, won title following season swapping Dampier for Chandler) - 18.5
2011 - Celtics starters with Big Baby (#3 seed, 2nd round loss after Wade maimed Rondo) - 18.5
2012 - Suns -- Nash, Grant Hill, Frye, Gortat, Dudley (33-33, missed playoffs) -14.5
2013 - Heat Big 3 with Chalmers and Battier (won title) - 19.2
2014 - Warriors Big 3 + Iggy and Bogut (51-31, 6th seed, dynasty started the following season) - 15.5
2015 - Warriors with Barnes instead of Iggy (won title) - 20.6
2016 - OKC with KD, Russ, Ibaka, Adams, and Roberson (3rd place, conference finals, lost to 73-9 Warriors in 7) - 17.8
2017 - Warriors big 4 with Zaza (won title) - 23.2
2018 - Philly with Embiid, Simmons, Redick, Covington, and Saric (3rd place, lost to C's in 2nd round) - 20.5
2019 - Warriors Big 4 plus Looney (Finals, lost to Toronto after KD and Klay both went down) -- 17.2
2020 - Bucks with Giannis, Middleton, Lopez, Bledsoe, and Matthews (1st place, lost in 2nd round in bubble) - 18.9
2021 - Jazz with Gobert, Conley, Niang, Clarkson, and Ingles (1st place, but oddly Donovan Mitchell is not in this lineup, lost in 2nd round) - 15.0

So in 14 seasons, the best lineup had 4 titles, 1 finals, 2 conference finals.  So that's half the teams with deep playoff runs including titles.  A majority of the teams were the #1 seed.  The two teams with 1st round exits replaced one player in the group and went onto the title the following season.  The only truly mediocre team was the 2011-2012 Suns, in a lockout-shortened year.  They also had the lowest net rating of this group of season leaders, and in many years wouldn't have even finished 2nd (so they are an outlier both in results and in quality).

I'm not sure where this lineup will ultimately end up (it's played only 343 minutes and most of the lineups on this list exceeded 500 minutes together, so they might see a little regression as the sample-size grows), but it will very likely be the best in the league this year with at least 300 minutes. and those teams are some of the best of the recent decade.

[Celtics2021]

I know this is a little hard to read and it is just another way of showing what has been posted in other ways but what I did is look for each team's starting 5-man line up.  I got this by setting minimums for GP and Minutes, then sorted by Net Rating.  Each of these represent what I understand to be the starters (based on quick spot checking).  For some teams, like PHI, it is off as it does not include Harden so it may be the starters prior to recent trades.  Other team like the LAL and BKN are not showing up because their starters have been injured so much and there is not a single line up that meets the criteria that I set.  Widening the filters then catches a whole bunch of non-starting line ups for other teams.

For most of the teams at the top of the list, BOS, MIN, MIL and so on, the 5-man line up is the current expected starters.  PHX for example is a line up of their starters (Paul, Booker, Bridges, Crowder, Ayton) but surprisingly, their Net Rating is not that good.  I am not sure exactly what this tells us but for our starting line up to be on the top of this list is a good thing.  This is a sizable sample size.  Due to trades and injuries, some top teams like PHI, BKN, and maybe LAL are not represented but you can still read a fair amount from this.


        GP   MIN   NETRTG
BOS   27   343   25.3
MIN   27   337   16.5
MIL   29   292    14.1
NOP   22   345   12.8
DEN   30   556   10.9
MIA   24   339   10.4
GSW   29   347   8.2
UTA   37   589    7.3
PHX   32   625    6.6
SAS   25   308    5.4
TOR   18   299   -0.3
ORL   31   370   -0.4
CHA   30   372   -2.3
HOU   24   291   -3.8
WAS   26   319   -5.4
PHI   21   256   -10.6
NYK   24   428   -13.8
DET   20   254   -18.1
OKC   25   254   -18.2

Here's some perspective on how dominant the starting lineup is: lineup data goes back to the 2007-2008 season.  The starters have the best net rating of any lineup with at least 300 minutes since they've tracked this.  Best ever.

Let me just say first I LOVE how the Celtics have been playing recently.

Saying that I also feel like they have also had a stroke of good fortune the past couple months. For the first time in what seems like the beginning of the bubble a couple seasons back they have been mostly healthy, while it seemed like it seemed like many of their opponents were missing key players.

So I decided to take a deep dive and look at 10 plus points victories since the start of this year where we had our top starting 5 play.

1/8 99-75 win opponent Knicks
The only key player the Knicks were missing was Rose, so this was pretty much their full roster.

1/23 116-87 win opponent Wizards
The Wizards weren’t missing any key players.

1/25 128-75 win opponent Kings
I was actually at this game, and it seemed like the Kings gave up before the first quarter was even over. Fox missed this game.

1/29 107-97 win opponent Pelicans
Ingram and Valanciunas missed this game.

1/31 122-92 win opponent Heat
Butler, Tucker, and Lowry missed this game.

2/6 116-83 win opponent Magic
No key guys missing.

2/8 126-91 win opponent Nets
Durant, Irving, and Harden missed this game.

2/13 105-95 win opponent Hawks
Collins missed this game.

2/15 135-87 win opponent 76rs
No Harden post trade.

2/24 129-106 win opponent Nets
Durant, Irving, and Simmons missed this game.

That’s a total of 10 games. Most of these games our opponents had key players missing, and/or just a subpar team to begin with.

The 53 point win against the Kings skews the numbers a bit, and the Kings just played awful, but it was a fun game to be at with seats close to the court. Lol

As I said in the beginning I’m loving the way they are playing, but I’m taking these numbers with a grain of salt considering the circumstances of many of our opponents during this stretch. I’ll take it though as I feel prior to this stretch we were a very unlucky team the past couple seasons with injuries and Covid going back to the start of the bubble when Hayward went down with an ankle injury (not to mention his devastating injury a couple seasons before that).

If you take the Celtics starters and only include games through the Portland game, so right before this run started, they had a 17.4 net rating, which is still better than the #2 lineup in the NBA this year.  Yes, they've feasted on some weaker competition lately, but even if they only kept up their season-average from the first three months, it'd still be the top unit.  They've been elite all year long.

[trickybilly]

Here is some interesting data - Loose balls recovered:


1.   Marcus Smart           66
2.   Stephen Curry           65
2.   Robert Williams III   65
4.   Anthony Edwards       64
5.   LaMelo                      60
5.   VanVleet                   60
7.   Dejounte Murray        59
7.   Siakam                       59
9.   Giannis                     58
9.     Booker                     58

[slamtheking]

Here is some interesting data - Loose balls recovered:


1.   Marcus Smart           66
2.   Stephen Curry           65
2.   Robert Williams III   65
4.   Anthony Edwards       64
5.   LaMelo                      60
5.   VanVleet                   60
7.   Dejounte Murray        59
7.   Siakam                       59
9.   Giannis                     58
9.     Booker                     58

I think I need some mental therapy.  first thought that popped into my head when I read that was they need a better jock strap   

[Surferdad]

Here is some interesting data - Loose balls recovered:


1.   Marcus Smart           66
2.   Stephen Curry           65
2.   Robert Williams III   65
4.   Anthony Edwards       64
5.   LaMelo                      60
5.   VanVleet                   60
7.   Dejounte Murray        59
7.   Siakam                       59
9.   Giannis                     58
9.     Booker                     58

Team is the top rated defense in the NBA.  I can't see how Smart and/or Williams don't make 1st team all-NBA defense.

[JBcat]

I know this is a little hard to read and it is just another way of showing what has been posted in other ways but what I did is look for each team's starting 5-man line up.  I got this by setting minimums for GP and Minutes, then sorted by Net Rating.  Each of these represent what I understand to be the starters (based on quick spot checking).  For some teams, like PHI, it is off as it does not include Harden so it may be the starters prior to recent trades.  Other team like the LAL and BKN are not showing up because their starters have been injured so much and there is not a single line up that meets the criteria that I set.  Widening the filters then catches a whole bunch of non-starting line ups for other teams.

For most of the teams at the top of the list, BOS, MIN, MIL and so on, the 5-man line up is the current expected starters.  PHX for example is a line up of their starters (Paul, Booker, Bridges, Crowder, Ayton) but surprisingly, their Net Rating is not that good.  I am not sure exactly what this tells us but for our starting line up to be on the top of this list is a good thing.  This is a sizable sample size.  Due to trades and injuries, some top teams like PHI, BKN, and maybe LAL are not represented but you can still read a fair amount from this.


        GP   MIN   NETRTG
BOS   27   343   25.3
MIN   27   337   16.5
MIL   29   292    14.1
NOP   22   345   12.8
DEN   30   556   10.9
MIA   24   339   10.4
GSW   29   347   8.2
UTA   37   589    7.3
PHX   32   625    6.6
SAS   25   308    5.4
TOR   18   299   -0.3
ORL   31   370   -0.4
CHA   30   372   -2.3
HOU   24   291   -3.8
WAS   26   319   -5.4
PHI   21   256   -10.6
NYK   24   428   -13.8
DET   20   254   -18.1
OKC   25   254   -18.2

Here's some perspective on how dominant the starting lineup is: lineup data goes back to the 2007-2008 season.  The starters have the best net rating of any lineup with at least 300 minutes since they've tracked this.  Best ever.

Let me just say first I LOVE how the Celtics have been playing recently.

Saying that I also feel like they have also had a stroke of good fortune the past couple months. For the first time in what seems like the beginning of the bubble a couple seasons back they have been mostly healthy, while it seemed like it seemed like many of their opponents were missing key players.

So I decided to take a deep dive and look at 10 plus points victories since the start of this year where we had our top starting 5 play.

1/8 99-75 win opponent Knicks
The only key player the Knicks were missing was Rose, so this was pretty much their full roster.

1/23 116-87 win opponent Wizards
The Wizards weren’t missing any key players.

1/25 128-75 win opponent Kings
I was actually at this game, and it seemed like the Kings gave up before the first quarter was even over. Fox missed this game.

1/29 107-97 win opponent Pelicans
Ingram and Valanciunas missed this game.

1/31 122-92 win opponent Heat
Butler, Tucker, and Lowry missed this game.

2/6 116-83 win opponent Magic
No key guys missing.

2/8 126-91 win opponent Nets
Durant, Irving, and Harden missed this game.

2/13 105-95 win opponent Hawks
Collins missed this game.

2/15 135-87 win opponent 76rs
No Harden post trade.

2/24 129-106 win opponent Nets
Durant, Irving, and Simmons missed this game.

That’s a total of 10 games. Most of these games our opponents had key players missing, and/or just a subpar team to begin with.

The 53 point win against the Kings skews the numbers a bit, and the Kings just played awful, but it was a fun game to be at with seats close to the court. Lol

As I said in the beginning I’m loving the way they are playing, but I’m taking these numbers with a grain of salt considering the circumstances of many of our opponents during this stretch. I’ll take it though as I feel prior to this stretch we were a very unlucky team the past couple seasons with injuries and Covid going back to the start of the bubble when Hayward went down with an ankle injury (not to mention his devastating injury a couple seasons before that).

If you take the Celtics starters and only include games through the Portland game, so right before this run started, they had a 17.4 net rating, which is still better than the #2 lineup in the NBA this year.  Yes, they've feasted on some weaker competition lately, but even if they only kept up their season-average from the first three months, it'd still be the top unit.  They've been elite all year long.

Yes, this is all true. I was just trying to take down a notch from the best ever comment. 😊

[Celtics2021]

Here is some interesting data - Loose balls recovered:


1.   Marcus Smart           66
2.   Stephen Curry           65
2.   Robert Williams III   65
4.   Anthony Edwards       64
5.   LaMelo                      60
5.   VanVleet                   60
7.   Dejounte Murray        59
7.   Siakam                       59
9.   Giannis                     58
9.     Booker                     58

Team is the top rated defense in the NBA.  I can't see how Smart and/or Williams don't make 1st team all-NBA defense.

Smart absolutely will, but a) competition for bigs is tough, and b) voters take a long time to recognize defensive excellence. Smart was the best player on a top defense in his second and fourth seasons, but didn’t get All-Defense until year 5.  Time Lord will get votes this year, but he won’t get second team.  Next year he hopefully will, and conveniently enough for him his extension which kicks in next season gives him a bonus for the honor.

[Vermont Green]

Celtics are 17-3 in the last 20 games with wins against MIA, PHI, BKN (3), DEN, MEM and hard to explain losses to DET, IND, and ATL.

It seems every game has some back story be it key injuries, traded players not playing, back to back rest days.  But this is a really nice run.  I feel we are seeing what this team really is.  No one is playing at an unsustainable level or anything like that.  This is what we can do, players and coaching.

Tatum is clearly playing and shooting better than at the beginning of the season.  I think that is attributable to him playing better individually but also the team overall playing better.  When Tatum is doubled now, multiple passes are made and the defense is punished for it.  That is about Tatum but also about the team understanding and executing schemes better.  I see Tatum driving a lot of this improvement, he is better and he is making others better mostly but it goes the other way too.  How others are playing is allowing Tatum to be better.

If Tatum is the key driver, I see Smart as the second biggest driver.  He has really settled in as the PG.  He has embraced being the facilitator, shooting less (or at least shooting more selectively), passing more.  Since Jan, his 3pt% is respectable (Jan 41%, Feb 35%, Mar 38%).  He has stayed in that 12-15 pts/gm lately and done his usual anything and everything needed to help the team win.  In my opinion, a lot of people still don't fully appreciate what Smart does for the team.

My final shout out is to our bigs; RWill, Horford, GWill.  They have all exceeded my expectation individually and as a group.  Now we have added Theis and this group should be able to hold their own.  That is all they need to do.  Break even, what ever you want to call it.  Just don't be a liability.  And so far, they have done that and especially so lately.  None of these guys are going to take over a game or anything like that but we don't need them to.  Each can do their own thing in their own way and do it well enough to support winning.

This is not to say that Brown, White, and others are not contributing also, these other guys are doing about what you expect.  I am not down on Brown at all but he has been up and down due to injuries.  I still view him as a key part of the team, he just has not been as much of a driver of the success in the last 20+ games as some others.  Scary to think that Brown is probably going to play much better than he has lately so the team could still have some ceiling to realize.