With their massive comeback win on Tuesday, the Boston Celtics proceed to turn their dominance at the hardwood:
17-point deficit erased ✅ percent.twitter.com/7V2disgrMm
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 2, 2022
The Celtics have emerged as professional contenders, so allow us to pass into the highest 3 the reason why.
3. Scoring From New Resources
After all, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are within the best 15 in utilization share this season.
They’re additionally within the best 16 in issues consistent with sport this season, with Tatum having the third-most issues scored in 2021-22.
Then again, they want lend a hand.
Previous within the season, there was once an inconsistent beginning lineup, however there was a brand new 3-point phenom at the workforce: Grant Williams.
Williams has the league’s third-best 3-point share.
Additionally, even with Dennis Schröder‘s 14.4 issues consistent with sport being traded away, the Celtics have the next avid gamers serving to:
Robert Williams owns the league’s ideally suited offensive score.
Let me say that to you once more — Robert Williams, the middle for the Celtics, is the league’s ideally suited offensive score participant consistent with Basketball-Reference.
Don’t omit about Payton Pritchard as neatly, who’s the backup level guard for the workforce now.
The business closing date was once February 10, and Pritchard has performed double-digit mins in each sport since February 8.
In simply his moment season, he’s turning into any individual that will probably be serving to with 3-pointers as neatly.
In his closing 4 contests, he has made 2.5 pictures from downtown consistent with sport, and he has tried 5.8 consistent with sport.
Going ahead, the Celtics will want “the others,” as Shaquille O’Neal says, to give a contribution.
Then again, in contrast to what O’Neal thinks, the Celtics have an opportunity to be a gloomy horse within the playoffs this yr.
At this fee, their protection will be capable of stay them in any sequence.
Then again, will Tatum and Brown be sufficient to provide the Celtics an opportunity on the Jap Convention Finals in a aggressive and jumbled convention?
It is going to rely on their well being.
2. Well being
The Celtics are enjoying like older Boston groups in a single very particular approach: workforce basketball.
That workforce basketball has been mirrored by means of their dominant beginning lineup of Tatum, Brown, Williams, Good, and Horford.
They’re 20-6 with this beginning lineup and their internet score isn’t too shabby both:
Celtics wholesome beginning 5 internet score is as much as +27.8 over 309 mins after closing night time’s win. That is the most efficient mark in NBA by means of a landslide out of lineups that experience performed 175 mins or extra this yr.
— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) February 25, 2022
Sadly, Brown went down with an ankle harm early in Tuesday’s win.
He must no longer be out for a very long time, however his standing turns out unsure for Thursday’s nationwide tv conflict in opposition to Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Will the Celtics be capable of protect the NBA’s latest sensation?
1. Protection, Protection, And Extra Protection
Neatly, if there may be any workforce within the Jap Convention that has an opportunity at protecting Morant, it’s the Celtics, who’re again to ten video games above .500 this season.
They have got held combatants to a .430 box objective share and .497 efficient box objective share, and each marks are the most efficient within the NBA.
Right here is an ideal instance of 2021-22 Celtics protection: Good, the workforce’s defensive chief, makes an incredible play to stay the Celtics’ lead at 8:
❌ MARCUS ❌ percent.twitter.com/4DwR3IMMZB
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 2, 2022
Good is the center of the Celtics, and he leads the workforce’s defensive effort.
Williams, Horford, Tatum, and Good are all within the best 20 in defensive score this season, with Williams rating No. 2 total.
The Celtics have the league’s second-best defensive score — moment best to the Warriors — and they’re preserving it up.
If they may be able to proceed this into the playoffs, they’ll proceed to be professional contenders.
