What went wrong last year?

[Big333223]

Per basketball-reference, the Celtics defense the last 3 seasons was #4, #14, #2. Their offense those years was #4, #10, #7. Defense was the biggest slippage.

And I think what everyone is getting at is that it was a combination of many things.

Kemba being in and out all season hurt continuity and then when he was in, everything was such a struggle for him. And it was like the team was trying ignoring how much of a struggle it was.

It's been mentioned about what having Kemba come off the bench would've done. For one thing, it would've officially handed the team to Tatum and Brown. Having Kemba as a relatively high usage starter muddied the waters for everyone.

Tatum trying to live up to the new hype (he had made his first all star game the season before), Jaylen trying to match him, Kemba not being able to produce like he did but everyone pretending like he was, Tristan Thompson not fitting, COVID, bubble burnout... And some young stars trying to figure things out.

It feels like they figured something out this season.

[Moranis]

Per basketball-reference, the Celtics defense the last 3 seasons was #4, #14, #2. Their offense those years was #4, #10, #7. Defense was the biggest slippage.

And I think what everyone is getting at is that it was a combination of many things.

Kemba being in and out all season hurt continuity and then when he was in, everything was such a struggle for him. And it was like the team was trying ignoring how much of a struggle it was.

It's been mentioned about what having Kemba come off the bench would've done. For one thing, it would've officially handed the team to Tatum and Brown. Having Kemba as a relatively high usage starter muddied the waters for everyone.

Tatum trying to live up to the new hype (he had made his first all star game the season before), Jaylen trying to match him, Kemba not being able to produce like he did but everyone pretending like he was, Tristan Thompson not fitting, COVID, bubble burnout... And some young stars trying to figure things out.

It feels like they figured something out this season.

The thing is, both Tatum and Brown had better statistical seasons last year then they had this year.  Tatum and Brown weren't the problem, it was everyone else. 

[SparzWizard]

We had Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier, and Brad Stevens last year. 

[Phantom255x]

We had Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier, and Brad Stevens last year. 

Don't forget the great Romeo Langford

 

[Donoghus]

Bubble fatigue, health, lack of cohesion.  Probably some Stevens fatigue too.

[Kiorrik]

According to Tatum in interviews - they had to learn that getting to the playoffs/conference finals wasn't automatic. That it wasn't a given.

That it required fighting.

According to the eye test; we had to learn through adversity that you can fight through things not going your way.

In my opinion, there's 3 things that make us so much different now;

 - obvious new defensive scheme
 - we started trusting each-other and playing TEAM ball
 - we started fighting through adversity (be it a run by a team, a bad call by a ref, injury, whatever really)

Other than that, it's just the usual. A year more experienced. People getting better individually (even with their stats not showing it).

Experience will do that.

Hence; KEEP THE CORE TOGETHER.

[jambr380]

Man, the overconfidence in this thread is going to look pretty foolish if we lose in the 2nd round. The 2019-20 team had a .667 winning percentage in the regular season and went to the ECF. Last season didn't go as planned, but most of that team was the reason we went so far in 2019-20. We just won a single playoff series - Let's chill out until we get at least as far as that horrible, awful, overrated team went.

I'm glad the actual Cs players seem to be more aware of the gravity of the current situation and don't seem to be taking it for granted.

[pokeKingCurtis]

Our line up continuity was not great this season, we still had injuries, but it was way better.  A. Horford, .M. Smart, .J. Brown, .J. Tatum, .R. Williams III played 443 minutes in 34 games. A lot of this came at the end of the season which helped.  It allowed the core team to come together, to "click".  Last season that never happened.

This surprises me.  There were 48 games when one of our starters was missing this season?

It makes sense, I guess.  Timelord missed 21 games, Jaylen 16, Horford 13, Smart 11, and Tatum 6.  Looking back at the season, though, the team has played so well that it's easy to overlook those missed games.

Was a good amount of this just Brown at the beginning of the season and resting All Horford?

Edit: and I guess time Lord despite having a great season health wise is always going to hover around 60-70

All that said, pretty good

[Kiorrik]

Our line up continuity was not great this season, we still had injuries, but it was way better.  A. Horford, .M. Smart, .J. Brown, .J. Tatum, .R. Williams III played 443 minutes in 34 games. A lot of this came at the end of the season which helped.  It allowed the core team to come together, to "click".  Last season that never happened.

This surprises me.  There were 48 games when one of our starters was missing this season?

It makes sense, I guess.  Timelord missed 21 games, Jaylen 16, Horford 13, Smart 11, and Tatum 6.  Looking back at the season, though, the team has played so well that it's easy to overlook those missed games.

Every time our players were interviewed about their newfound success, they'd literally say, off the bat: "Honestly, just, health."

[The Oracle]

Defensive rating  20-21 season 111.8 13th ranked, 21-22 season 106.2 #1 ranked.  The biggest single factor was getting rid of Kemba.

[Moranis]

Defensive rating  20-21 season 111.8 13th ranked, 21-22 season 106.2 #1 ranked.  The biggest single factor was getting rid of Kemba.

Not just getting rid of Kemba, but replacing him with Horford. 

[Goldstar88]

Defensive rating  20-21 season 111.8 13th ranked, 21-22 season 106.2 #1 ranked.  The biggest single factor was getting rid of Kemba.

I tend to agree with The Oracle. 

[liam]

Defensive rating  20-21 season 111.8 13th ranked, 21-22 season 106.2 #1 ranked.  The biggest single factor was getting rid of Kemba.

Not just getting rid of Kemba, but replacing him with Horford.

Exactly!

[gouki88]

Defensive rating  20-21 season 111.8 13th ranked, 21-22 season 106.2 #1 ranked.  The biggest single factor was getting rid of Kemba.

Not just getting rid of Kemba, but replacing him with Horford.

This + a few other factors.

Smart was not nearly the defender he’s been this year last season. Timelord has been reliably healthy and able to play extended minutes. Tatum has taken a leap this season defensively. We’ve been healthy for the second half of the season.

[Moranis]

Defensive rating  20-21 season 111.8 13th ranked, 21-22 season 106.2 #1 ranked.  The biggest single factor was getting rid of Kemba.

Not just getting rid of Kemba, but replacing him with Horford.

This + a few other factors.

Smart was not nearly the defender he’s been this year last season. Timelord has been reliably healthy and able to play extended minutes. Tatum has taken a leap this season defensively. We’ve been healthy for the second half of the season.

Yes, but how much of that is not having to cover for terrible defenders like Kemba and Fournier.  A bad defender often makes everyone else on the team a worse defender.