For just the 4th time this season, the Celts have lost 2 games in a row.
The next set that came 3 weeks later was by 2 points and 1 point.
Do not let the final score fool you.
Which brings us back to a familiar place over these last few weeks.
The delicate balance between having to play these games while ultimately prioritizing health.
Maybe it’s just me, but the Giannis calf strain has scared me straight.
Your entire playoff run can change in a single moment.
One bad step, one rolled ankle, that’s all it takes.
Their playoff seeding is very much up in the air where a single win could drastically change their path.
But here’s the thing with that.
No, that’s wrong.
They did try (at times).
They were just severely outplayed.
Does it mean anything in the grand scheme of things?
Not really, but that doesn’t make it an acceptable level of basketball.
Bad basketball is still bad basketball whether you “care” about the game or not.
This is where that delicate balance comes into play.
I just think there has to be a balance.
The good news is we are almost through the glorified preseason and the real games are on the way.
This quarter and the play of Hauser/Pritchard were basically a microcosm of the entire game.
I’m also somewhat intrigued by Svi.
The Bad
- I have been screaming about this for months now.
In fact, I’m going to say dead wrong.
Opponent offensive rebounding and 2nd chance points.
Here’s why that matters.
We all want the Celts to not fuck around and make series go longer than they should right?
Well you do that by fucking around on the defensive glass.
Allowing your opponent to get 2 or 3 tries every trip down the floor is not a winning formula.
That’s not an excuse for getting worked on the boards.
Looking at the rebounding numbers from last night and man is it pathetic.
Jaylen with 2 rebounds in 28 minutes.
Tatum with 4 rebounds in 31 minutes.
White with 2 rebounds in 28 minutes.
Horford with 2 rebounds in 15 minutes.
Since the ASB, the Celts are 26th in opponent OREB overall.
In their 6 losses since the ASB, they are 29th.
That is why this is the biggest concern/problem area for the Celtics ahead of their playoff run.
They have to rebound.
His most common matchup was Jaylen, which he torched for 7 points on 3-4 shooting.
Then came White, who Brunson shot 2-4 against.
Next up was Jrue, who held Brunson to a stingy 3-3 shooting.
Then we had Tatum, who allowed 2-2 shooting.
Those are arguably your 4 best defenders, and they allowed a combined 10-13 shooting.
That is about as awful as you could possibly get.
So far this season, Brunson in the 5 games is averaging 27 a game on 47.7/40% splits.
It’s a large part of why the Knicks crushed the Celts in the paint 56-40 last night.
There was no resistance from the perimeter defenders.
Quick, shifty, offensive minded guards could very well be in the Celts playoff path this year.
Given how we talk about the Celts perimeter defense, there’s no real excuse for being that poor.
I get why, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.
The bar is simply league average.
Jrue’s just going to let Al get cooked in space like that while he stands and watches?
The man is 37, he should not be asked to stop a guy going full speed in transition.
It’s small moments like these that show the difference in energy and effort.
That cannot happen.
Given their shot diet, there are going to be moments where the Jays aren’t efficient.
That’s where the backcourt needs to come into play and close that gap.
When they don’t, you get back to back blowouts.
Yet the Celts are called to their average of 16 last night (2nd best in the league).
The Ugly
- No other place to put the Jays other than this section.
It’s less about the efficiency for me and more about the decision-making.
That, is a problem.
Ultimately, everything comes down to how Tatum and Brown perform during this run.
As we know, everything starts at the top.
If they don’t play with energy and effort, that will trickle down.
They are the tone setters, they are the most important pieces.
All I will say is this.
