The Boston Celtics woke up today 51-14.
Since the first day of the season, they’ve been the very definition of dominant.
They feel like a machine.
A great example of this is how this team has performed against teams under .500.
You know, the trap games.
So, why do things maybe feel different this time around?
It’s not that complicated really.
Just look at how the Celts ended this West Coast trip.
In Portland, it was a wire to wire professional ass kicking.
There was no overlooking the opponent coming off a nice bounceback win over the Suns.
They were focused, they executed, and they did not fuck around.
There was no overlooking the opponent or maybe looking ahead to finally being home after this trip.
They were focused, they executed, and they did not fuck around.
On the season, the Celtics are now 24-1 against teams below .500.
Last season, they were 24-10.
Their Finals run year, 23-10.
In 2021-22, they had the 2nd most losses against bad teams of any top 6 seed.
Last year, they were once again tied for the 2nd most losses against bad teams.
If we’re being honest, it was a bad habit for them.
Here we are with around 17 games left and the Celts can now do whatever the hell they want.
To me, that says a few things.
First, the roster is really really really good, even when some stars sit.
Brad cooked as few have cooked before.
Second, Joe has this team focused and locked in, regardless of the opponent.
Previous versions of this team split these final 2 games of a West Coast road trip.
There’s some sort of letdown where they take a step backward after trying to build momentum.
Well, let’s talk about it.
A game in which Jayson Tatum was going to have to put the team on his back and carry.
What did he do?
Ah yes, 38/6/2 on 13-25 (4-10) while playing just 34 minutes.
The best player on the floor and it wasn’t particularly close, as he should be.
You simply do not see that anymore in today’s NBA, especially with the elite talents.
At the same time though, hey rest.
We’ve seen enough.
If he plays, keep it like last night and under 35.
I also loved seeing Tatum get back to not missing everything at the rim.
Much, much better in that department last night as well.
As I said yesterday, who gives a shit if Tatum’s MVP campaign is dead.
That means nothing to me.
As a reminder, White has 6 blocks over his last 2 games.
As a point guard.
I’m not sure people are truly grasping how ridiculous White’s rim protection has been this season.
The best part is these blocks are coming against every pop in of player.
But that’s also only half the story.
What has made the Derrick White jump so impactful is the confidence in which he shoots the ball.
When he’s at his best, there is no hesitation.
It’s all in the video above if you’re looking for some examples.
When White shoots the ball with confidence, everything changes.
In a game like this given who was missing, the guard play became extremely important.
This was not a game where the guards could no show or play tentatively.
They had to be aggressive, they had to be effective, and that is exactly what happened.
- You see, it wasn’t just Bald Derrick.
His 12 FGA were his most since 2/9.
I dunno, what would you call 16/5/8/2/1 on 6-12 (2-7) shooting with only 1 TO?
I’d call that pretty effective.
He shows up, puts in his work, makes a winning impact and then goes about his day.
There’s no complaining, there are no loud antics, just hoops.
- Are people ready to start giving Joe Mazzulla credit yet?
Maybe he knows what the hell he’s doing?
What the hell are you watching?
That’s maybe the biggest takeaway from these final 2 games of the trip.
That’s not easy to do, but it makes all the difference in the world.
He’s about as good a 3rd center as you’re going to possibly find in the NBA.
That’s not even factoring in what Kornet does for the vibes.
Not only is he tall as shit, but he’s a smart player.
How many times do we see him find the corner shooter on the short roll in P&R?
Put Al on ice and let Tillman get the run and lets see what happens.
That might have been the most impressive part of last night.
If you watched this game you would have had no idea they played the night before.
- How about the 20-0 response with Tatum on the bench after the Jazz cut it to 2.
Again, that’s a 20-0 run with no Tatum, no Jaylen, and no KP.
The Jazz didn’t score for nearly 8 minutes!
To me, that’s a championship level pop in of response.
They could have cratered, blamed it on tired legs and packed in it.
Instead, they locked in and went to another level, all without their best player on the floor.
If a 20-0 run in that spot given all the context doesn’t impress you, grow up.
He can handle it.
- It took a while, but we finally saw the Celts give up 30+ points in a quarter.
After going 8 straight quarters without doing it, they did it twice in this game.
I can handle missing good looks.
That happens to everyone.
What I can’t handle is not even generating good looks.
That’s bad, and it will come back to bite you in the ass.
- Pretty strange lack of ball security from Derrick White early.
If they turn it over, they will die when it comes to the playoffs.
We’ve seen it time and time again.
They have to be smart with the ball.
The Ugly
- I dunno, this one is tough because nothing was really all that bad.
Maybe Pritchard’s 3-12 (2-9)?
A 3-2 West Coast trip isn’t the greatest, but it’s also not the worst.
Now winners of 3 straight, it’s time to keep the momentum rolling.
