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You is perhaps asking your self, “what will be realized from a 6-point win in opposition to a bottom-of-the-barrel Magic crew within the first week of the NBA season?”
Nicely, truly loads.
Friday night time’s contest in opposition to the Magic had the entire makings of a let-down sport. The Celtics performed their first two video games of the season in opposition to a few Japanese Convention title contenders, considered one of which was a revenge-driven Warmth crew on Thursday night time. Al Horford was out resulting from again soreness (doubtless resting on a back-to-back). And at last, the sport was performed in Orlando (not precisely probably the most thrilling NBA surroundings to play in for those who ask me).
The whole lot concerning the sport screamed an impending loss. Or, as a minimum, a sub-par effort on the top of the Celtics. And, I might argue, it WAS a reasonably sub-par effort. However, that’s why a win reveals how good this yr’s Boston crew is.
The on-ball strain wasn’t the place it wanted to be. The Celtics have been sluggish of their defensive rotations, permitting the Magic to get tons of open seems from the three-point line, leading to a 15-of-34 (44%) night time for a supposedly “unhealthy” taking pictures crew. The defensive transition was common at finest, and there didn’t appear to be any urgency to pack the paint on quick breaks. Orlando outrebounded the Celtics 48-37, whereas Wendell Carter Jr. seemed like a primary Tristan Thompson on the offensive glass.
Usually, the C’s lacked the depth and focus wanted to be the defensive crew that we all know and love from final season. To place it plainly, they gave up 120 factors to a very unhealthy Magic crew whose finest participant is a 19-year-old rookie (sure, he’s incredible, however not fairly the perfect participant on NBA crew but).
However, the Celtics offense seemed like a well-oiled machine, which is what I’m involved with this early within the season. Regardless of a down sport from Brown and a noticeably torpid Celtics crew, the boys in inexperienced have been on autopilot all night time, driving into the lane and kicking out to open shooters, making further passes, and flattening open photographs. And, fairly frankly, the offensive success overshadows the defensive struggles at this level within the season.
We all know what the Celtics protection can and will likely be. With particular person defenders like Sensible, White, Tatum, Brown, Brogdon, and Rob (I may go on), they’re going to determine it out on that finish. The muse for achievement is there; the roster is identical as final season (when the Celtics had the perfect defensive ranking within the NBA) with a further nice perimeter defender (Brogdon), and the switching versatility is simply ready to be unleashed in the suitable matchups. There is no such thing as a world wherein the Celtics aren’t an elite defensive crew come playoff time.
What was up for debate, although, was how the offense would look. Would Tatum resort again to isolation ball? Would Brown proceed to dribble into a number of defenders and cough up the ball? Would White be capable of knock down open photographs? Would Grant come again to earth after his otherworldly playoff three-point taking pictures? The Celtics are confidently answering all of those questions, and extra. They appear like probably the greatest offensive groups within the league with higher outdoors taking pictures from function gamers than they’ve had the final couple seasons.
They’re harmful. And when the protection catches as much as the offense (which it’s going to), be careful.
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