This Celtics team is so perplexing.
Does the defensive intensity/efficiency really all boil down to effort? How do we go from last night's terrible overall game, including D, to tonight's elite-level D?
On paper, this is a team that should destroy our defense.
Avery Bradley is 1st-team All-Defense for a reason. The Clippers rely a lot on Chris Paul creating looks for everyone. That's not happening today.
True, on the other hand, IT has guarded him for large sections of the game, too. I also think the Clips' offense has been a bit overrated this season, too, largely due to their quick start to the season.
But AB's presence back in the lineup has clearly made us a much better defensive team, even if earlier in the season he was putting his ball-hawking defense on the backburner to try and stay healthy (that's the prevailing opinion for his early season defensive woes anyways). Glad to see him back to his ball-hawking ways. We're a much better team with him like that.