#1 – Rim frequency
Against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Boston Celtics had their highest volume of rim attempts of the season. With 37% on their attempts within 4 feet from the basket, the Celtics had more attempts in the paint (47) than from the three-point line (44).
The Celtics have struggled in the fourth quarter lately, and one of the reasons is how much they rely on jump shots. Last night, they used rim pressure to get over the fourth-quarter hump and generate easy shots at the rim. They went back to their usual empty-side action to stretch the defense.
To generate space at the rim, they also used Kristaps Porzingis’ post-up. They used the big man to stretch Yves Missi far from the rim so Jayson Tatum could cut into the open space.
In the last quarter, the Celtics only took 5 attempts from three, while taking 13 shots at the rim and 11 free throws. It was pretty unusual for the Celtics to live so close to the rim—but when their shots aren’t falling, they were able to find another way to get the W.
#2 – Offensive rebounds
The story of the last game was rebounding—or rather the lack of it. Well, the Celtics turned it around last night against the Pelicans. Joe Mazzulla’s men dominated the glass. They had their 4th-best offensive rebounding game of the season and their 2nd-best defensive rebounding game.
One-third of the offensive rebounds came from Kristaps Porzingis, which is very encouraging. Indeed, the Celtics have usually been better on the offensive rebound with the Latvian on the bench. In this last game, the Celtics generated the equivalent of 33 points per 100 misses. In such a close game, it’s definitely a game changer for Boston.
#3 – How to attack the drop defense
One of the tricks to attacking drop coverage is the pick-and-pop, and Boston has the perfect tool for that with Porzingis. The big man’s catch-and-shoots are the ultimate punishment for drop defense—if the Pelicans want to keep Missi close to the rim to disrupt the drives, the Celtics send it to KP, and he drains it from three.
Missi is a rookie but has been one of the best rim protectors of the season so far, so the Celtics had to get creative. The Celtics also used off-ball screens to drag Missi away from the rim or force the switch.
To punish the Pelicans’ drop, the Celtics also used the Spain pick-and-roll with a second screener behind Missi, who can also shoot from three. Using a second three-point shooter behind the rim protector forces the defense to make a decision, often leaving one player open—here, Payton Pritchard.
It’s clear that the Celtics are equipped to beat a drop defense.
#4 – Putting Zion Williamson in rotation
Zion Williamson was an all-time prospect—yet, one of his well-known weaknesses is his off-ball defense. The Celtics’ coaching staff is well aware of that. Therefore, one of the Celtics’ goals was to force him to rotate at the rim as a low man.
To do so, they would put the player Zion is matching up with on defense in the weak-side corner. This turns Zion into the low-man help on the action. With that, the Celtics were able to put pressure on the former All-NBA player and test his defense.
Zion isn’t a total defensive liability. His on-ball defense and defensive playmaking create turnovers and transition opportunities—yet, the Celtics knew he had a weakness and found ways to exploit it.
#5 – Jaylen Brown playmaking in the second
Jaylen Brown’s passing has always been a hot topic of conversation. When he is not playing alongside Jayson Tatum, there is more room for him to show his playmaking improvement. Indeed, with Jayson Tatum off the floor, Jaylen Brown’s assist numbers increase significantly (from 5 to 10 assists per 100 possessions, according to pbpstats.com).
Last night was a great example of how good Jaylen Brown has become compared to before. On a couple of plays, from a drive or a pick-and-roll situation, Jaylen Brown was able to find Luke Kornet alone at the rim.
With Jaylen Brown’s ability to attract more than one defender, his passing could open more things for him and the Celtics on offense. The Celtics’ offense has always struggled with Jayson Tatum on the bench—however, since last season, the Celtics have been able to keep the offense going when their go-to guy sat.
It’s still not as good as with him on the floor, but Jaylen Brown’s passing improvement is helping a lot. The examples from last night showed he is getting closer to the all-around player fans want him to be.
#6 – Jayson Tatum isolation skills
With 6 isolations per game on 1.16 points per possession efficiency, Jayson Tatum is the best isolation player in the NBA. Last night, despite a bad shooting night, Jayson Tatum scored 38 points.
He dominated one-on-one, making 8 of his 11 attempts at the rim and generating 11 free throws.
Like the Celtics overall, Jayson Tatum showed there is more to his game than just the three-pointer with this performance. In the Celtics’ elite spacing, Jayson Tatum looks unstoppable.
#7 – Slowing down Zion Williamson
The Celtics’ defense has been another hot topic of conversation lately, and Zion was a great challenge for them. To stop such an offensive force, the Celtics had to work collectively. As Zion gravitates around the rim, the Celtics crowded the paint around the former 1st overall pick.
The Celtics did a great job of protecting the rim, allowing the Pelicans to take only 20% of their shots at the rim. On top of that, Zion Williamson only made 5 of 15 of his attempts, showing the Celtics did a great job at slowing him down.
#8 – Pelicans hunting Horford
The Pelicans aren’t well-known for their hunting skills, yet last night, they did a great job attacking Al Horford. When Al Horford was on the court with another big man, he was defending Zion Williamson.
Therefore, the Pelicans would run pick-and-rolls, where the lack of mobility and speed from Al Horford and the other big man created gaps in the defense that Zion could exploit. When Zion was off the court, Al Horford would help up playing defense on Trey Murphy—which was also a great challenge for the veteran.
Later in the game, Jayson Tatum switched onto the young wing, who scored 30 points, to slow him down—and it worked pretty well.
#9 – Dejounte Murray loves green
Once again, Dejounte Murray seemed unstoppable against the Celtics. Since his stretch in Atlanta, Murray has been playing really well against the Celtics, and last night was no exception.
Offensively, Dejounte Murray has been struggling this season. His efficiency has never been this low, with 0.95 points per shot attempt. Last night, his offense was unstoppable. He almost made a triple-double and hit 6 three-pointers out of 9 attempts.
Over his minutes, the Pelicans had a +7 plus/minus and could have stolen a game at TD Garden. This also shows that the Pelicans are better than their record suggests—they are mostly slowed down due to injuries.
#10 – Celtics’ opponents are making a lot of threes
Over the last 10 games, 7 opponents have made more than 38% of their threes. On the other hand, the Celtics are struggling beyond the arc. While the Celtics are in the middle of a shooting slump, it looks like the opponents are heating up from three.
While it is mostly variance and bad luck, it’s also a reminder that Celtics’ opponents often bring their A-game and are highly focused—ready to try their best to beat the champs.
