#1 Losing the lead
30 points. The Boston Celtics led by 30 points midway through the second quarter. Then, for no good reason, they self-deflated. There wasn’t a momentum-swinging play. The Atlanta Hawks didn’t magically become a better team. The Celtics saw they were up big, took their foot off the gas, and their rhythm vanished.
In the second half, the Celtics struggled to control the tempo, limit drives, and knock down their shots — regardless of how high of a quality look they generated. The performance went from picturesque to “no photos” in a matter of minutes. What’s worse is that no matter the harder they tried, the more the Celtics slipped into some old habits, which only dug them into a deeper hole.
#2 No timeouts
We’re used to Joe Mazzulla staying patient with his team. We understand his reasoning behind his adjusted Ferber method. I’m all for empowering your players and giving them time to figure things out. However, there has to be an inflection point. When it’s clear that things aren’t going to get better and your lead is being rapidly chopped down, you have to call a timeout.
Otherwise, the momentum gets sucked out of your roster, heads start to drop, and the opposition has the wind in their sails. This was Boston’s 15 loss of the season. I’m far from worried. However, Mazzulla’s stubbornness when it comes to his timeout philosophy is concerning. What happens if a run like this occurs during the postseason? There must be a balance. And if there isn’t one, Mazzulla needs to find it.
#3 End of game execution
All season long, the Celtics have done a great job of avoiding situations where players are forced to jack up late-shot clock heaves. They move the ball. They flow into early offensive actions. They move without the rock. They screen to create gaps. Yet, when the game is on the line, we go back to the isolation heavy offense with everyone standing around the perimeter “spacing” the floor.
The result is always a tough shot that is heavily contested. There’s a reason the Celtics hold the best offensive rating in the league, and it’s because of their motion-based offense, not their being content to isolate.
Where was the screen? Where was someone cutting to create more space for the drive? We’ve seen this movie before; we didn’t like the ending. I think I can safely say we prefer the re-make that’s been airing over the past few months. Let’s get back to watching that.
#4 Three’s not falling
The Celtics went 0-of-9 from deep in the third quarter. They were 1-of-6 in the fourth. Overall, they shot 11-of-38 from deep, good for 28.9%. We have to credit the team, though, because they didn’t force the issue. When it was clear their shots weren’t falling, they attacked the rim and got into the mid-range.
The issue is that the Hawks out-mathed them. The Hawks shot 50% from deep on 18-of-36 shooting. They beat the Celtics at their own game. They Good Will Hunted Boston’s defense on the perimeter…
#5 Holiday and White’s absence felt on defense
And a large part of that was due to Jrue Holiday and Derrick White being out of the rotation with injury. Yes, Brown and Tatum are good defenders and ensured there was size and athleticism on the perimeter, but neither of them are primary guard defenders. They’re better at switching on actions, and Tatum is better as a helper than he is as a primary defender.
Holiday and White are elite defenders. Together, they form arguably the best two-way backcourt in the NBA. Without at least one of them in the rotation, the Celtics didn’t have a legitimate chaser to pressure shooters from behind or to impact their shot release without being directly in front of them.
Between Tatum, Brown and Payton Pritchard, the Celtics allowed 10-of-20 shooting on the perimeter. One can only assume that number would have been lower if White or Holiday where chasing shooters over screens and contesting shots from different angles.
#6 Ball getting sticky
Both possessions have one thing in common: A pass that is usually made wasn’t. The Celtics have made a living off their pick-and-pop actions with Porzingis above the break. When Tatum or Brown come off the screen, they either drag their dribble or penetrate with force. No matter what, the result is usually a kickback to Porzingis for the catch-and-shoot three in space.
Those looks weren’t coming for the veteran big man on Monday. Instead, the ball got a little bit sticky. It stopped popping around the way it had through the first and a half quarters. Actions that have been staples all season quickly became decoys for additional isolation reps.
Neither of the shots in the above clips were bad looks. Both came in rhythm, and both were shots the players usually take. However, they both came out of an action where the outcome is usually a little different, and that told me how the Celtics weren’t playing from their usual playbook.
#7 Jaden Springer will be fun
Jaden Springer gave some solid minutes off the bench, most notably on the defensive end. He hustled his butt off, flew round screens, cut off driving lanes, and used his length to impact potential passing and shooting opportunities.
At times, Springer looks like he’s playing a little faster than he needs to be, and than what he’s comfortable with. He’s still new to the system and to his teammates. As he becomes more accustomed to his surroundings and the schemes he’s being asked to operate within, he’s going to produce at a higher, more consistent level.
Once that begins to happen, Springer is going to be a fun player to watch and a fun project to follow. He has all the tools to be an elite defender. If he can fix his shooting and become a little more decisive when driving, he could become a solid rotation guard for the Celtics soon.
#8 Hauser needs a counter
2-of-10 from deep. That’s a far cry from his 10 threes the other night. When his shots are falling, Hauser is one of the best weapons on the Celtics roster. He brings scoring gravity, pins defenders to his movements, and generates high-level spacing. However, when the shot isn’t falling, his value quickly diminishes.
Hauser needs to add a counter to his game. He needs something for when his three isn’t dropping. That could be a one or two dribble pull-up to attack close-outs. He could make his baseline cuts more prominent within his offense. Whatever it is, finding a secondary way to provide scoring is a key development for Hauser.
We all know that getting the ball to drop can quickly get a shooter back in rhythm. Hauser has the size and touch to be a threat in the mid-range. If he can embrace the additional shot profile, it might prevent these tough shooting nights from occurring as frequently.
#9 Where were the actions?
We saw some stagger screens, the occasional horns entry, and corner curls that were heavily focused throughout the game. Yet, when the Celtics were chasing the game, it felt like their primary actions all went out of the window.
Part of the Celtics’ success has been their offensive system, which is based on principles rather than Mazzulla calling sets from the sidelines. That allows the team to read the defense and flow into plays that work against the coverage they’re seeing.
Yet, when those plays stop occurring, and the half-court offense begins to grind to a halt, you’re left scratching your head, wondering why they’re not getting into their usual sets and finding good looks.
Again, part of this is due to losing momentum. Part of it is due to chasing the game and looking for ways to get back on track. However, this team is where it is because it’s trusted the system. It’s telling that everything ground to a halt the night they went off script.
#10 It’s just one loss
I’ve been quite critical in today’s takeaways. In part, it’s because I’m trying to look at each game through a single-game lens. That’s the point of this article: to discuss what we saw in that one 48-minute stretch of basketball. As more games are played, it gets harder to shut out the other performances.
I am far from worried. And I do not think this loss is the end of the world. It doesn’t change the fact the Celtics are championship favorites. It doesn’t change the fact they’ve been dominant all season. And it certainly doesn’t make me any less hopeful moving forward.
However, it is good to look at where things went wrong. Right or wrong, we will all have ideas about what could have been done differently or at least have been done better. Still, the Celtics are back in action on Thursday. They’re probably going to get instant revenge and get back on the winning trail.
Whatever happens, this team is elite. Losing without your starting backcourt isn’t a reason to panic. Losing 15 games out of 72 is far from a reason to worry. Losses happen. It is what it is.
It’s just the manner of the loss that hurt so much.
Catch you all on Friday.
