Can The Celtics Have A Top 10 Defense Next Year?

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Can the Celtics have a Top 10 Defense this Season?
By Nolan Young on September 2, 2014 0 Comments



Avery Bradley believes the Celtics can be a top ten defensive team, but is there any basis to his prediction?
After signing his new four-year deal, Avery Bradley has been vocal about his confidence in his current roster of teammates. He’s stated that he believes they can be “a top ten defensive team” which certainly raised the eyebrows of those who expect this year to be another long and arduous one for the C’s, potentially ending with another trip to the lottery.

Bradley’s statement has created an interesting conversation for this young and largely unproven Celtics squad. Let’s explore it in a bit more detail:


“Why they cannot be a top ten defense”

Free Layups

The Celtics do not possess a defensive big who can consistently get stops in the paint. Their two young bigs, Sullinger and Olynyk, have shown valuable strengths in other areas of their respective games, but protecting the rim is just something they were not born to do. While Kelly Olynyk measures at a flat 7’, he isn’t exactly known for his vertical leaping ability. If you stacked all of the Y’s that are in his name with standard twelve point font he wouldn’t be able to clear it. Although he possesses the height of a true NBA center, it seems like his arms might have stopped growing after the 5th grade. The man has a great offensive touch, but he’s unlikely to ever be a respectable rim defender.

Jared has his own list of issues when it comes to being able to defend in the area of the rim. While he’s known for his substantial gluteus maximus and the benefits it provides in rebounding and gaining position in the post, it offers him little help in protecting the rim. At 6’9″ in shoes, his standing reach is a full 2.5″ less than Olynyk’s.

Aside from these two, and while noting the considerable defensive strides Brandon Bass made last season, you won’t find a solid defensive big with a respected paint presence on the Boston roster. We have Vitor “please don’t be the cops” Faverani, Tyler “we wish he was Cody” Zeller, and Joel “man, this seat is really warm right now” Anthony. Not a great stable of defensive stoppers here. There is, of course, great room for improvement on defense throughout the frontcourt, and cultivation is key right now. But right now, out of the box, a top ten D just doesn’t seem realistic given the situation on the blocks.


“Why they can be a top ten defense”

Guard Play

Bradley’s confidence in his teammates’ defensive ability holds some weight, as he has proven himself over the last two seasons to be one of the best on-ball defenders in the league. This could conceivably give him the credentials and ability to judge his teammates based on his own efforts and attributes. If one so defensively savvy as Bradley thinks that the Celtics can be a defensive force next season, who can argue with him?

Avery Bradley has carved a niche as one of the more respected defensive pests in the league over the last few seasons. He’s averaged over a steal a game in the regular season, as well as the playoffs. He remains a problem for the opposing team by pressing his man across the entirety of the court. This exertion of effort throughout the game on a nightly basis is a feat of mental fortitude and a testament to his amazing conditioning. His ability to take the ball out of the opposing guards’ hands creates disorganization and puts the C’s in great positions to force turnovers. His attitude and commitment to being a great defender give this team an ideal candidate to mold their defensive identity around.

Marcus Smart, a Big 12 product like AB, also seems to have all the physical and psychological strength it takes to become an elite defender at guard. Smart turned down a guarantee of millions of dollars by not entering the 2013 NBA draft and instead remaining in college for another year. Although projected to be to be a top 3 pick, another chance at winning in college proved to be the deciding factor. This was his priority, whether it was the wise thing to do or not. It can be argued quite easily that it was not, but it was the competitive thing to do without question. This extremely high level of competitiveness gives Smart a tenacity that makes him particularly hard for the opposing player to score on. As Smart showed throughout his college career, opponents are going to work for every bucket that they get,

In a tight Oklahoma state vs. Texas Tech game, Smart infamously shoved an old white “gentleman” who called him a “piece of crap.” While I’m not saying that this was a smart decision (or a mature one), it does show that Smart is not someone who is going to be bullied on or off the court. This level of intensity is something that most players never display on the court, and it can be the driving force in leading a player to accomplish great things, especially on the defensive end.

The captain, Rajon Rondo, cements this potential juggernaut of defensive guard play with his own unique defensive abilities and attitude. For his career, Rondo averages around two steals a game, which might suggest that he’s a bit of a defensive gambler, but his steal numbers are not what makes him such a great defensive player. The fact that he thinks he can obtain the steal is what makes Rondo a special player. Instead of just playing it safe and trying to stay in front of his man, he is confident in his ability to force something more. Rondo is a cocky, self-assured jerk on the basketball court, and that is exactly the type of person you want on your team.

Even if this is Rondo’s last year in green, he has proven to be a fiercely loyal teammate. He was even willing to square up with Kris Humphries, a player twice Rondo’s size. Rondo did this to send a message (even if the foul was a bit light) that it isn’t acceptable to mess with his teammates. When he found himself teammates with Mr. Kardashian the following year, they managed to remain more than civil. He is willing to go above and beyond what is asked for his team while on the court, and this similar mentality is what makes these three Celtic guards so scary on defense. There will be at least one of these beasts on the floor at any given time, making it hell for the opposing team to run their offense. And who knows? If the bigs prove to be quick studies and the guards live up to their reputations, maybe Bradley’s prediction won’t seem so far fetched, after all.




bob
MY NOTE: I don't see how one can have a top 10 defense without an interior defender that blocks/intimidates shots. Period. We'll do better this year, if for no other reason that we have players playing their normal positions, but top 10? I wouldn't stop giggling.




.

Bob,

Miami had a top 10 defense during their "big three" era despite not having a rim protector. As measured by points given up per 100 possessions, they were 11th last year, 9th in 2012-13, 4th in 2011-12, and 5th in 2010-11. But they were the exception to the general rule.

Agreed, Outside. Didn't we just have this discussion on the board? I believe I recall posting that, while the author bases much of his hypotheses on analysis of individual players, much of their defensive potential depends on how their team defense can be tailored by Brad to compensate for some of the individual deficiencies. I think I used the example of how a tighter perimeter defense by the guards can reduce opportunities for penetration by opponents, thus easing the burden on the big men who are not great rim protectors.

Sam

Outside wrote:Bob,

Miami had a top 10 defense during their "big three" era despite not having a rim protector. As measured by points given up per 100 possessions, they were 11th last year, 9th in 2012-13, 4th in 2011-12, and 5th in 2010-11. But they were the exception to the general rule.

outside,

They also had a Flying Wallenda starting at SF. That covered a multitude of sins.


bob



.

bobheckler wrote:They also had a Flying Wallenda starting at SF.  That covered a multitude of sins.

That certainly helped, but I think Spoelstra deserves credit for fashioning an effective defensive scheme tailored to maximize the strengths of his players and minimize their weaknesses and to get everyone to buy into that scheme. It worked exceptionally well, and even with LeBron's talents, they wouldn't have won squat without that defense.

as Sam has pointed out in the past I believe, shot blocking isn't the only means to "protect the rim" inside.

Sully has the thickness to be effective, whenever anyone tries getting to the rim (does he have the quickness, might be a question).

I think Kelly has the same chance to be that type of defender inside. I keep referencing his tree truck legs. That's a pretty nice base to hold your ground with ( does Kelly have the desire to take the punishment, may be his question).


Zeller supposedly has pretty good quickness for his size and has/had nice hops when drafted. though he has been just an average shot blocker to date.

a couple drive down the lanes into a Sully wall and ending up with an offensive foul and bloody nose.

Maybe one with Kelly inside.

then a couple blocks when Zeller is in.

suddenly maybe that lane doesn't look so wide open anymore.

only problem I see is this isn't the 1980's and the NBA is a no touch league now.

so.......

never-mind

Top 10?

Looking at the sum of the parts, but not knowing how they work together yet; can't say.

We do have a few promising looking defenders in the mix. My guess, however, is not this season.

kdp,

I've mentioned that I think Kelly is "heavy-legged." At least that's how it looks to me when he runs the floor. So, in that respect, he has a low center of gravity as does Sully, although obviously to a much lesser degree of strength (at least in the past). And Kelly's height, despite his relatively short arms, arguably gives him a longer reach than Sully.

So, ultimately, is it possible that Kelly could be combining two valuable defensive traits (low center of gravity and reach), while Sully's main strength is his low center of gravity? In other words, is it possible that Kelly could wind up being a better defender in the low post than Sully? What's your opinion?

Sm

The problem with Kelly playing center is that, unlike Sullinger, he doesn't display much desire to steamroll the guy he's playing against.


KJ

That's true, KJ.  But he seemed to become increasingly determined in his moves to the hoop as the season progressed.  Although I agree that center seems a real stretch (no pun intended) for Kelly, last winter I was posting about the advisability of sending him down to the D League.  Guess that's why I don't make predictions.

Sam

sam wrote:That's true, KJ.  But he seemed to become increasingly determined in his moves to the hoop as the season progressed.  Although I agree that center seems a real stretch for Kelly (no pun intended), last winter I was posting about the advisability of sending him down to the D League.  Guess that's why I don't make predictions.

Sam

I felt that the brunt of his growth was on the offensive end. Those 3 point shots and lay-ups were going in by the time of the late season games, whereas before he appeared to have a more hesitant approach and was missing shots he could make. He was turning the ball over much less and felt comfortable with the flow of the game. His confidence on offense has translated to him making more aggressive moves.

I have yet to see the same level of growth on defense. I'm sure that in time, he will be at least a serviceable defender, but not of the caliber that is necessary for a starting center.

That has been my primary point of contention when debating this with KDP. I just don't see Kelly's defense being enough to anchor the team. In my opinion, he should play the 4 where he will endure less physical punishment.


KJ

He can't anchor a defense, hes a 4 at best defensively.

But to answer the OP, yes, the Celtics can be a top 10 defense *this* season because there's more depth now at center and guard.

Rondo, Smart, Pressey, and Bradley can all defend. I'm not so sure about Thornton, Young, and Turner. Green is pretty decent on defense, as well as Wallace. I suspect that Sullinger will play better defense against PFs than centers. I think Kelly will improve a bit on defense, and I think Zeller will do a solid job in the post.




KJ

kj our backcourt shoud be hellacious, can't wait to see these guys pressure and harass.

Confidence is such a huge part of offense. One of the main reasons Miami's defense was so highly rated was because other teams didn't think they could beat them. So it's not unreasonable to think that the Celtics have the ability to take away opponents' confidence on offense.

The Celtics should have an attacking defense next year and, with Smart and Bradley interrupting the flow, other teams should have much less time to run plays. Defense doesn't require talent as much as effort, hard work and consistency. What I think is the key to overpowering defence is having people diving for loose balls, something I understand Marcus Smart has been known to do.

As far as this amorphous phrase 'rim protection' is concerned: Blocking shots is overrated. Getting defensive rebounds is the real issue. That means blocking out, packing the paint, and working as a team. Where's Clifford Ray when we need him?

Spike,

How are you doing? Send me a private message. Inquiring minds want to know.

Clifford Ray currently has graying red hair and used to wear number 18 as a Celtic.

There seems little doubt that the strength of the Celtics' defense will be at the first line of defense. It's very likely that the quality of the entire Celtics defensive scheme will depend very largely on how the perimeter defense can take the starch out of the oppoonent's aggression at the point of attack.

Sam

sam wrote:Spike,

How are you doing?  Send me a private message.  Inquiring minds want to know.

Clifford Ray currently has graying red hair and used to wear number 18 as a Celtic.

There seems little doubt that the strength of the Celtics' defense will be at the first line of defense.  It's very likely that the quality of the entire Celtics defensive scheme will depend very largely on how the perimeter defense can take the starch out of the oppoonent's aggression at the point of attack.

Sam

When people (not necessarily you, Sam) talk about "perimeter defense" they usually are talking about back court defenders.  But defenders can be easily slowed down or erased with an effective pick.  The key to effective perimeter defense is not the on-the-ball defending guard but the player defending the picker.  He has to step out on the ball to prevent him from turning the corner.  He also can't lose touch with his man, which is why it is important for the guard to fight his way OVER the pick and not take the easy way out and go under it.  If he goes under, the picker can roll and his defender can't leave the ball because the guard has effectively taken himself out of the play by getting behind the picker.  KG was great at this, with the second best perimeter PnR defending big on the team being Scal. Bradley's perimeter defense was less effective last year than the year before bcause his help was Kelly and Sully and not KG.

If our perimeter defense is elite this year, it will be because of Tully Zellernyk, not because of Bradley and Smart.



bob



.

You're right, Bob. When I think of perimeter defense, or any defense, or any offense for that matter, I think about teamwork—not individual defenders whether they be guards, forward, or the center. I do think a player such as Smart can prove disruptive because of his combination of strength and agility, but he usually can't do it alone. I don't believe Bradley has been nearly as disruptive individually on defense in recent years as he was in his first couple of years in the league.

Sam

We should be much better on D this year, with the addition of Zeller. Smart, etc., a healthy Rondo and Bradley, and more experienced Sully and Kelly. Top 10? I think it's possible if Brad demands supreme defensive effort, subs in often and uses nearly his whole roster most games.
I'd be delighted if we became a defensive monster, no matter what the record ends up being next season. Russell noted that strong defense is the key to successful offense. I think this is true not only within games, but over a season or longer. If are feared for our defense in the upcoming season, it's a shorter climb to elite status in 15-16, or 16-17. Also, new players not known for defending, may surprise us if the quality of their defense determines their p.t. All-out defense can be a contagious mind-set. Hawk.

If we have a top 10 defense this year (and the odds of that happening are LONG), the subject of this article has to really step up his (defensive) game:

www.celticsblog.com/2014/9/7/6110671/was-the-boston-celtics-rim-protection-acquisition-promise-fulfilled-tyler-zeller-jared-sullinger

True. It's Zeller's job to lose and that may be the best scenario for him. Also, I think Anthony can contribute as well as Faverani, if he heals. This is not the contingent we will eventually need, IMO, but may suffice as part of an improving team. A lot of how we do depends on Brad, which is why I'm optimistic. Hawk

Virtually everything the Celtics accomplish this season will have depended heavily on Brad. There will be immense weight on his shoulders; and I, for one, think he's up to the task.

Sam

This team should be better defensively because of the backcourt.

SF should also be solid.

PF and C is the big question.

Dboss