The Boston Celtics offense is finally starting to click

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2019/01/the-boston-celtics-offense-is-finally-starting-to-click.html



The Boston Celtics offense is finally starting to click



Updated Jan 4, 9:39 PM; Posted Jan 4, 9:39 PM




Dallas Mavericks center DeAndre Jordan (6) defends against a shot by Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 4, 2019, in Boston. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) (Elise Amendola)



By John Karalis | JKaralis@masslive.com JKaralis@masslive.com




When I was a kid, I my mom asked me what I wanted for my birthday, and I told her I wanted Michael Jackson’s album.

Well, she’s a Greek immigrant and she doesn’t speak english very well. She went to a record store and did buy me an album, except it was Jeffrey Osborne.

The reaction nine-year-old me had to getting “On The Wings Of Love” as opposed to “Thriller” is pretty much what Boston Celtics fans felt as they watched what they expected to be a juggernaut stumble out of the October with the league’s third-worst offensive rating.

Things have changed a lot over time. I, for example, have learned tact, while the Celtics have learned how to share the ball, cut, and score. Over the past five games, Boston has the league’s fifth-best offensive rating, and their overall rating has climbed to tenth.

The Celtics assisted on 35 of their 42 made field goals against the Dallas Mavericks, which was their 13th 30-plus assist game this season. They are 9-4 in those games.

“We were moving the basketball,” Gordon Hayward, who had eight assists on the night, said after the game. “Guys were cutting. Spacing was good for the most part. It was fun.”

Fun is something the Celtics have not been for much of the season. Very often, the early-season Celtics devolved into extended bouts of isolation play, which is not enjoyable for fans, players, or the coaches.

“When we shoot those really tough ones that are un -- not potentially assisted -- you know, that’s when we get in trouble," Brad Stevens said after the game. "We had a couple of those tonight but for the most part everybody was in a good rhythm and playing well together and seeking out the right shot, and we’ve just got to keep doing that as much as possible.”

Part of the Celtics improved offense is the in-season improvement of guys who had been struggling. Jaylen Brown, for example, has adjusted to his bench role and is playing very well. He shot 38.8 percent from the field over his first 20 games, but he’s shooting better than 52 percent over his last 15, and 63.5 percent over his last five.

“Everybody’s going to go through those slumps,” Stevens said. “He’s come out of his well, and has really strung together a good couple of weeks of basketball.”

Marcus Smart has also strung together some good basketball lately. He’s shooting 43 percent from 3 over his last 10 games and his overall percentage is just under 34 percent. Hayward is also starting to feel like himself, which is going to help Boston take massive leaps forward offensively.

“Confidence-wise, these last two ames are going to be good for me,” Hayward said. “I think I’ve done some things these last two games that I did a lot when I was in Utah, so that’s a good sign.”

It’s also a good sign, that the Boston Celtics suddenly have a top-10 offense and the league’s fourth-best defense. Now the trick is keeping it up, which is no easy feat for this team.

“When we have good spacing, we have talented players, it just makes the game easier,” Hayward said. “If you make the right read, everybody gets involved and it’s fun.”


bob



.

The Celtics have yet to play really well together with a full compliment of players. When guys are out other guys get more minutes and have a better chance to play well.

What I am really waiting to see is how this team plays with this much talent and a logjam of minutes distribution. They beat up on Dallas. They beat up on bad teams most of the time but they need to beat the good teams as well.

Toronto has hit a bad patch (5-5) and their key PG Lowry is out indefinitely. In the meantime the Bucks continue to click on all cylinders and the Pacers just keep on winning with the best defense in the NBA and a pretty good offense. The Celtics remain in 5th place. They need to go on another extended winning steak to close the gap in the East. The Crooklyn Nets have moved into 8th place by winning 7 of 8 and they are our next opponent. Trap game coming up!