Are the Boston Celtics the Worst Second Quarter Team in the NBA?

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Are the Boston Celtics the Worst Second Quarter Team in the NBA?



Written by  Larry H. Russell




Are the Boston Celtics the Worst Second Quarter Team in the NBA?



The second unit of the Boston Celtics has thus far been a tremendous disappointment.  How much is it hurting them?


When Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens goes to the bench at the beginning of the second quarter, the results haven’t been pretty. In fact, as evidenced back in Boston’s win Wednesday against the Brooklyn Nets, Stevens played Isaiah Thomas alongside four other reserves.

“I think you’re done seeing the Celtics roll with five man reserve units,” said Keith Smith of realGM on Sunday’s edition of Celtics Beat.

During the first sixth of the season, Stevens has tried anything and everything to see what works with a reserve unit. The results have been disastrous. When the starters exit the game, the ball stops moving and going into the basket on the offensive end and a lot of times, is going in the basket on the other end.

Not good.

And when the key starters like Al Horford, Thomas and Avery Bradley return to the floor, they do with Boston’s opposition having all the momentum. The Celts have been getting downright killed in second quarters.

-2.6 PointDIFF (28th)

23.2 points/2ndQTR (27th)

95.2 points/100 POSS (25th)

-8.8 NetRtg (25th)

24th in PACE

47.9 eFG% (22nd)

15.9 Turnover Ratio (22nd)

45.5 REB% (Last)


On this week’s edition of Celtics Beat, we discuss how Boston can fix this issue. Be it internally or through an acquisition...or two.


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bob
MY NOTE:  Part of the problem is that our bench players seem to be specialists and not generalists.  Some of the specialists, especially on the on-the-ball defensive side of the ball, have been doing their jobs (e.g. Jerebko, Rozier and Smart) but our key rebounders (Kelly, Zeller) suck.  Offensively, Kelly is back to off-and-on, Zeller is useless, Smart is a shooting disaster (he has been making a lot of assists but he is a horrible scorer who drags our numbers WAY down).  Rozier and Jerebko have been doing well, on both ends, but they are not high-volume shooters.  Gerald Green was supposed to be that player but he can't get off the bench.  Kelly has to become more consistent on offense and that means more consistently aggressive.  Period.  Zeller needs to run, because that separates him from other 7'ers.  Rozier is fast as a rocket.  Smart can run.  Zeller can run.  Kelly can't run but we've seen him leak out and get fast break points.  Jerebko can run.

I'll bet putting Demetrius Jackson on the floor will up the pace and scoring...




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