The Boston Celtics, AS A TEAM, at the Quarter Pole

This thread is about the team.  I will start a post after this that grades the players individually.

Our defense is pretty good, ranked 3rd overall.  Our offense is mediocre at 15th.

We aren't taking enough fritos.  We are middle of the pack in paint points.  They are linked.

We take great care of the ball.  We are #1 or #2 in giving the ball up.  That's really impressive for a team with so many new players and young'uns.  I think Brad and the coaching staff deserves credit for that.

Clearly, our defense drives our offense.  We are middle of the pack in most offensive categories except for fast break points and points off turnovers.

We are 21 games in and Gordon Hayward, who is playing outstanding ball again, has only played in 8 of them.  There are only 2 teams in the NBA that have 3 players scoring 19+ ppg, LAC and Boston.  Gordon Hayward is averaging 18.9 ppg, basically less than a 3/4 of a point away from giving us 4 players 19+.  I'm not sure I can even think of a team that has ever had that kind of balanced offense.  Not the Bird era, nor the Pierce/KG/Allen era.


After 21 games the Boston Celtics have:

On offense:

#2 turnovers, 13.2/game.  Only Dallas at 12.9 gives up fewer.
#6 blocks, 5.8/game.
#6 steals, 8.6/game.  Only .3 steals/game more and we're in 2nd, that's how close it is.
#7 FT%, 80.2%
#8 fast break points, 14.7 ppg.
#9 offense rebounds, 10.7/game.  .3 more ties us for 6th.
#10 total rebounds, 46.1/game.  Just .2/game moves us to 8th.
#11 3PT FGA, 35/game.
#14 FGA, 89.9FGA/game.   .3 ppg more would make us 12th.
#14 Points in the Paint, 47.0/game.
#15 overall, scoring 110.7 ppg
#17 FTA, 22.9/game
#19 Assists, 23.4/game.
#21 3PT FG%.  The difference between #21 and #15 is .6%
#22 FG%, 44.5%


On defense:

#1 in steals given up.
#2 opponent points in the paint, 41.3 ppg.
#3 overall, giving up only 103.5 ppg.
#4 FG% defense, giving up only 43.2% pg.
#3 FGM defense, giving up only 37.6
#5 3pt FG% defense, giving up only 33.5%
#5 in opponent turnovers generated, 16.6/game.  2nd is only .3/game away.
#5 in Margin of Victory (MOV), +7.2, tied with Toronto.    
#6 in opponents assists, 22.6/game.  The difference between 6th and 3rd is .2 assists/game
#9 points off turnovers, 18.4/game.  Only .3/game away from 7th.
#20 eFG%, 51.4%.
#24 in offensive rebounds given up, 11.0/game.  The difference between 24th & 20th is .2/game.
#24 in blocked field goals against, 5.7/game.  We get a lot of shots blocked.

#1 opponent points off turnovers, 13.6 ppg.
#3 opponent fast break points, 11.8 ppg.
#9 offensive rating (points/100 possessions), 110.2 ppg.  6th is .3 ppg more away.
#4 defensive rating (points allowed/100 possessions), 103.0 ppg.  3rd is .3 fewer ppg allowed away.
#4 net rating (points scored - points given up/100 possessions), +7.2.
#7 assist-to-turnover ratio, 1.77:1.  5th place is only .3 more.  Can Hayward's return help that?
#22 pace, 99.96 possessions/game.  So the /100 possessions stat isn't too far off from what we actually do.


bob


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