16 equals 18 Boston Celtics NBA Playoffs

Math for the Boston Celtics is absolutely easy initially of the 2022 NBA Playoffs.

16 equals 18.

16 wins to boost Banner 18. That’s the main target now.

The 82-game curler coaster trip has come to an finish. There have been ups and downs. Thrills and disappointments. And very like an actual curler coaster trip, you may need felt such as you had been going to puke at occasions.

However now, that’s all prior to now.

16 equals 18 now.

On New 12 months’s Eve, one thing clicked for the Celtics. They had been 16-19 and taking part in the perfect workforce within the NBA with out Jayson Tatum. However Boston dug deep and beat the Phoenix Suns that afternoon. From that time ahead, the Celtics went 35-12 and by no means seemed again.

The protection, which was taking part in fairly effectively, took steps ahead that day. A month or so later, with the additions of Derrick White and Daniel Theis, the protection took a leap.

Boston completed:

· 1^st within the NBA in Defensive Score

· 1^st within the NBA in Opponent’s FG%

· 1^st within the NBA in Opponent’s 3P%

· 1^st within the NBA in Opponent’s 2P% (the one workforce within the league maintain opponents below 50%)

The Celtics protection wasn’t simply good, it was dominant. Most nights, sooner or later early within the third quarter, Boston would collectively say “Let’s end this” and put the clamps on.

On the finish of the 12 months, the Celtics completed +0.1 factors behind those self same Suns, of the 64-18 report, for the highest scoring differential within the NBA.

However as good as all these numbers are, they don’t matter anymore.

16 equals 18 now.

How do you get to these 16? By backing all these numbers up. Brad Stevens stated he wish to construct a team Boston can be proud of. Mission completed.

Stevens eye for expertise and match, mixed with Ime Udoka’s powerful love and onerous teaching, created a juggernaut. It simply took a short while for that cake to complete baking.

Workers Picture By Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald

Udoka stated within the preseason that the protection was the main target first. Solely after Udoka’s defensive system was mastered would the Celtics flip to the offense. That gave Boston the right mindset.

You’re going to have unhealthy offensive nights. Generally photographs gained’t fall. Generally you by no means get the appropriate really feel. Generally the opposite workforce is simply able to shut you down.

However the protection ought to by no means falter. A superb protection is one thing you’ll be able to lean on, even when the offense goes awry.

However to be a superb protection it’s important to be powerful. It’s a must to work. It’s a must to have some grit.

You have to be prepared to step in and take a cost, even when you already know it’s going to harm. You have to swap and transfer your ft on the perimeter to include a tough ballhandler. You have to tackle larger gamers within the submit and maintain your floor.

However when you already know the opposite 4 guys on the courtroom, and all the fellows on the bench, are making the identical sacrifices you might be, it turns into simpler.

You not solely welcome the contact, you come to crave it. You begin to ship the hits vs simply absorbing them. While you get knocked down, you already know your teammates are going to select you up and inform you to do it once more.

While you look throughout the courtroom and see your opponent’s shoulders stoop, their legs weary and their eyes drained, you already know you’ve acquired them.

However that’s when the Celtics amp up the strain much more. There’s no let-up. Get them down, hold them down, have fun. Wash, rinse, repeat.

That mindset, one among toughness, grit, need and drive, is earned. It’s not given. It may well solely be cast over months of onerous work and tireless effort.

That’s a part of the way you make 16 equal 18.

Picture by Brian Babineau/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures

As soon as the protection was locked in, Ime Udoka turned to the offense. Gone was the ISO ball that Udoka promised to banish at his introductory press convention. In was an up-tempo offense that targeted on transferring the ball to get the appropriate photographs on the proper time, not simply any shot by the generally proper particular person.

The Celtics are nonetheless constructed across the singular offensive expertise of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. However as Udoka and Brad Stevens stated, the purpose is to reinforce these two stars. To construct them up by fortifying the bottom round them.

Once more, mission completed.

Tatum and Brown turned in terrific offensive seasons. However Marcus Good turned the purpose guard he was all the time destined to be and is now the Celtics chief on protection and offense.

The much-maligned double-big lineups labored to a allure, due to the flexibility of Boston’s bigs, plus the creativity of Udoka.

Payton Pritchard and Grant Williams each completed the 12 months as dead-eye shooters off the bench. Derrick White’s herky-jerky fashion of pushing tempo, whereas additionally meandering to his spots was precisely what the Celtics wanted.

No, the offense isn’t on the similar ranges of the protection. However it’s not far behind. Boston completed top-10 in each offense and protection this season. That’s one thing virtually each latest champion has completed.

That’s a part of the way you make 16 equal 18.

Picture by John Fisher/Getty Pictures

However to get to the Finals, not to mention win a title, you want greater than only a good offense and a superb protection. You want a little bit luck alongside the way in which too.

Robert Williams acquired damage, but it surely wasn’t as unhealthy because it might have been. The workforce is getting ready to play with out Williams within the first spherical, however the Celtics aren’t ruling him out but both.

The no back-to-backs nature of the playoffs isn’t actually luck, but it surely’s going to assist Boston immensely too. Al Horford powered by way of some stuff on the finish of the 12 months, principally along with his again, however with practically per week off earlier than Sport 1, Horford says he’ll be advantageous.

The remainder of the Celtics, to a person, have stated “We’re able to play”. That’s able to play whoever, wherever, every time.

Boston might have completed some shenanigans to get themselves right into a seed to keep away from Brooklyn Nets within the first spherical. They may have labored themselves right into a matchup with the weaker Chicago Bulls, or probably even right into a bizarre matchup in opposition to the Toronto Raptors. However the Celtics selected to play to win and to seemingly play the nets.

That’s who this group is. As Ime Udoka stated “It’s about us.”

The Celtics don’t care who they need to play. This group now believes they’ll win, regardless of who the opponent is.

It’s about them being the perfect model of the Boston Celtics they are often, and believing that’s sufficient to win. That supreme perception that they will get it completed in opposition to whoever, wherever, every time.

That’s the way you make 16 equal 18.