Brad Stevens: no coincidence Boston Celtics best defense came during Semi Ojeleye’s 24 straight minutes of play

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Post by bobheckler Thu Dec 05, 2019 8:42 pm

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2019/12/brad-stevens-no-coincidence-boston-celtics-best-defense-came-during-semi-ojeleyes-24-straight-minutes-of-play.html




Brad Stevens: no coincidence Boston Celtics best defense came during Semi Ojeleye’s 24 straight minutes of play




Updated Dec 05, 2019;Posted Dec 04, 2019




Brad Stevens: no coincidence Boston Celtics best defense came during Semi Ojeleye’s 24 straight minutes of play 3SRNEIVBTFAV3I7OJUNDHDTZGM
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - DECEMBER 04: Semi Ojeleye #37 of the Boston Celtics dives in front of Kendrick Nunn #25 of the Miami Heat for a loose ball during the first half of the game between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat at TD Garden on December 04, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)




By John Karalis | JKaralis@masslive.com




BOSTON - The Boston Celtics were up to their old tricks against the Miami Heat.

They shot 38 percent in the first quarter. They only scored 20 points. Miami shot 52 percent, had six assists on 12 made baskets, and scored 28. If I told you to guess which team got to their hotel in the middle of the morning after an overtime game last night, you’d have guessed wrong.

Things changed in the second quarter.


“We played harder," Brad Stevens said, when asked what the key to the turnaround was.

He stopped, but the assembled media was waiting for more. The silence was a little awkward.

“That was the key," he reiterated. "We played harder.”

That’s true. Jayson Tatum seconded that motion later in the locker room. Kemba Walker thirded it.

Journalistically, we had the answers to three of our five key questions. The what that changed was the effort. The when was the start of the second quarter. The where was the defensive end of the floor.

Semi Ojeleye was the who and the why.

“Defensively he’s in the right spot, he’s where he’s supposed to be,” Brad Stevens said after the game. Stevens played Ojeleye the entire second quarter and then, instead of going to Grant Williams like he did to start the game, he went with Ojeleye for the entire third. "He plays with good physicality and he got a number of deflections in the paint just by being in the right position... He was really good. I don’t think it was a coincidence that those 24 minutes were our best 24 minutes defensively tonight.”


It is a polite understatement to say Ojeleye’s season started off slowly. In less than 10 minutes per game over his first 10 games, Ojeleye was a net-negative on the floor who shot 20 percent from 3. In his last 10, he’s a +36 shooting almost 41 percent from 3. He’s doubled his minutes and rebounding totals from his first 10 games to the next 10. He’s gone from virtually unplayable to a big reason why Boston jumped past Miami in the standings tonight.

“I just think he’s really improved," Stevens said. “I feel really good when he shoots the ball, he’s worked really hard on his shot, no one spends more time and we’ve talked about that. He made a huge shot tonight when they cut it to five.”

Ojeleye knows he’s not on the floor to shoot, but he also knows he has to shoot to do his job right.

“When you’re not making shots, it’s tough,” Ojeleye said. “The big thing for me right now is just letting go. Letting the work speak for itself... if it goes in great, if not, great. At this point, that’s not what’s going to get me on the court. I know I need to bring the energy and talk. The offense for me is just extra.”


That 3-pointer was his only made field goal. Tack on two free throws and you have the five points he scored on the night. Throw in all the other stuff, the defensive energy, the seven rebounds, the great positioning, and you get a +21 over the course of two quarters.

“Semi was great,” Kemba Walker said. “He was really loud, talking behind the defense, making sure everyone was in the right spots and that’s who Semi is for us as well. He’s a great player and we need him to be great defensively, make open shots like he’s doing, making the hustle plays. He’s always the first one to the floor and that’s what we need from him.



bob




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bobheckler
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Post by worcester Fri Dec 06, 2019 1:35 am

I had written Semi off as a total bust. Lucky for us Brad is the coach.
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Post by dboss Fri Dec 06, 2019 8:48 am

His value on defense is the thing that keeps him around.
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