Four Factors That Have Made Celtics Playoff Contenders

http://www.csnne.com/boston-celtics/Four-factors-that-have-made-Boston-Celtics-playoff-contenders



Four factors that have made Celtics playoff contenders
April 9, 2015, 9:00 pm









CLEVELAND – Brad Stevens is a couple years removed from competing for a national championship at Butler.

But he now finds himself in the final four again; as in final four games of the regular season with the Boston Celtics.

And unlike Year One of the Stevens era, every game counts for Stevens and his crew in this final week of the season.

Boston is trying its best to finish off this 180-degree turn on its season, one in which the Celtics are trying to secure a playoff spot after being a lottery-bound afterthought most of this season.

So how’d they do it?

Here we’ll examine four factors that were significant contributors to Boston becoming a playoff contender when so many believed they would once again watch the playoffs from home instead of actually having a shot at being part of the show.



THE BENCH MOB

With so many changes and injuries and trades all season, it was difficult for Boston to ever settle on a solid starting five. Because of that, the team’s second unit struggled for weeks to come together in a way to make a significant impact and play with some degree of consistency.

It seems this unit’s turning point came right after the all-star break.

Prior to the break, Boston’s bench averaged 39.5 points per game which ranked 7th in the NBA.

Following the break, they have averaged a league-best 44 points per game. And for the season, they are scoring 41.1 points per game which ranks just behind Indiana’s second unit which is averaging 41.2 points per game for the season.

Of course Isaiah Thomas and his high-scoring ways has been a big part of that success. But more than anything, Boston’s second unit has difference-makers.

Jae Crowder is having a career season scoring the ball, averaging 9.5 points per game with the Celtics. But his greatest contribution on a nightly basis is his energy and infectious hustle that most nights leads to at least one Tommy Point-worthy play.

Kelly Olynyk is the perfect complement to Thomas as far as running pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop plays.

Jonas Jerebko has been a pleasant surprise for Boston, seeing limited minutes but seemingly maximizing his opportunities when they come.

Ditto for Gigi Datome.

And now with Jared Sullinger back in the fold, Boston’s already talented, impactful bench is even deeper.

All have shined at different times this season, at both ends of the floor.

And that’s what separates this group from many others. Boston’s second unit, while filled with guys who can score at this level, also has a bunch of players who can make things happen on the defensive end of the floor, too.



EVAN TURNER’S GROWTH

Turner is Boston’s starting small forward, but he is clearly the team’s playmaker (sorry Marcus Smart) with that starting unit. The skills that Turner has shown this season have been a key ingredient to Boston’s formula for success recently.

He is known for his versatility from the time he arrived in the NBA as the No. 2 overall pick in 2010. But it wasn’t until he got to Boston where that knack for impacting the game in many ways was on full display.

He has three career triple-doubles, all of which have come as a Celtic. Boston allows him to have the ball in his hands a lot, a major reason for him averaging a career-high 5.3 assists per game and the Celtics displaying good ball movement with some degree of consistency.

And like the bench, Turner seemed to morph into a more consistent difference-maker after the all-star break as well.

Take a look at Turner’s pre- and post-all-star break numbers:

Before the break (51 games): 8.8 points, 4.6 assists, 4.7 rebounds
After the break (27) games: 10.8 points, 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds

That kind of improved production along with more consistent play defensively was also a factor in Turner’s improved play and Boston winning more games.



AVERY BRADLEY’S LEADERSHIP

With Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett gone before the start of last season, and Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green shipped out earlier this season, Avery Bradley had little choice to take the mantle of leadership.

He has the most experience with this organization.

He understands what it means to be a Celtic better than any of his teammates.

And his leadership – by example – has been strengthened this season because he was able to stay relatively injury-free for the overwhelming majority of this season – a first for the fifth-year guard.

More than any other Celtic, Avery Bradley is a reflection of his seemingly always cool, calm and confident head coach Brad Stevens.

Like Stevens, Bradley goes about his business in a very workmanlike manner which is the kind of example a franchise wants to see coming from one of its more seasoned players.



COMMITMENT TO DEFENSE

Watching the Boston Celtics at the start of the season was an exercise in being the ultimate basketball tease. There were so many games that the Celtics would run up and down the floor jacking up shots, and making enough to keep the game relatively close.

But down the stretch, they couldn’t stop anybody. And those shots that went in early, were no longer finding the bottom of the net.

It was clear then that Boston’s edict to play with space and pace, needed a healthy dose of defense.

They didn’t go out and land a rim protector at the trade deadline or anything like that.

It took a while, but the Celtics players began to understand how they can only defend at a high level if they work together collectively.

They don’t have a DeAndre Jordan or Omer Asik or Tyson Chandler patrolling the paint who can clean up a lot of their mistakes.

Tyler Zeller has done many wonderful things this season for the Celtics at the center position. But being a steady rim protector? That ain’t one of them.

And again, the turning point for Boston’s defense appears to have come following a disappointing 110-98 road loss to Minnesota – one of the worst teams in the NBA.

In the following seven games leading into the all-star break, Boston held six of those opponents to less than 100 points scored. Even with that strong finish prior to the break, opponents were still scoring at least 100 points 60.7 percent of the time when they played Boston.

But after the break, that number dropped to 51.9 percent.

And it should be all that surprising that prior to the break, Boston was 11 games under .500.

After the break, they have gone 16-11.

The factors in their improved play are plentiful. But more than any X’s and O’s drawn up, their defense these days gives them a chance to be successful which is a trend they hope to continue in these final four games of the regular season.



bob



.

Hard to argue with any of the four listed factors.

But I think Brad, and especially his ability to orchestrate ATOs and fantastic finishes in general, is worthy of being fifth factor.  I know Brad's equilibrium is mentioned, but his contributions go way beyond that.

Nice to see a couple of starters singled out for praise; but I wish the starters as a unit could follow suit.

Sam

Dboss,

Yes, the writer briefly mentions Isaiah just as he briefly mentions Doc.  Isaiah has brought an aggressiveness that has been infectious.  It's been a while since the Celtics had a player who could so consistently impose his will on opponents while also galvanizing his teammates.  In fact, one might have to go all the way back to L. J. Bird for that type of Celtic.

Sam

Larry Bird really? and posters here were offended that I was comparing DeAndre Jordan to Russell? at least Jordan is among league leaders in rebounds and blocks....now when IT imposes his will hes reminiscent of Larry Bird? WOW

IT can really get to the line. Since coming here he's averaging almost seven FTA's in about 26 minutes PT.

He reminds me of Calvin Murphy, another fearless 5'9" scoring guard with absolute confidence in his game who was partial to the challenge of the big moment.

Lou Williams can get really hot too, he reminds me of Larry Bird.

cowens/oldschool wrote:Lou Williams can get really hot too, he reminds me of Larry Bird.

Sue Bird is really hot too.  She reminds me of Larry Bird.  So does Halle Berry for that matter.


bob


.

bobheckler wrote:

cowens/oldschool wrote:Lou Williams can get really hot too, he reminds me of Larry Bird.

Sue Bird is really hot too.  She reminds me of Larry Bird.  So does Halle Berry for that matter.


bob


.

Come to think of it, Megan Fox reminds me of Larry Bird......

LMAO guys.....!!!!!

Cowens, as you know darned well, I never compared Isaiah to Larry Bird in his totality.  I mentioned one trait that they share—the ability to impose their will on opponents—each in his own way.  Larry did it with his total body of work.  Isaiah does it with his persistent forays to the hoop—many of which are virtually impossible to stop.

Sam

sam wrote:Cowens, as you know darned well, I never compared Isaiah to Larry Bird in his totality.  I mentioned one trait that they share—the ability to impose their will on opponents—each in his own way.  Larry did it with his total body of work.  Isaiah does it with his persistent forays to the hoop—many of which are virtually impossible to stop.

Sam

Old Stan VanGundy sure felt that way !!

beat

Sam

I kinda think for a player to be worthy of being in a conversation with an all time great like Larry Bird he better have a reasonably great distinguished body of work that I don't think IT has come close to achieving yet or has parts of his game that are similar to the one being compared and they obviously play different positions, plus have very different games....,,,but thats just me. If you had compared him to a young Tiny Archibald or Rod Strickland, I could see that.

cow

Cowens,

You want to make something more of this than the one trait I described, and that's simply not going to happen.  Body of work pertains to more extensive comparisons than the one catalytic trait I mentioned.  Like some of the wonderful "greatest player ever" discussions that I love so much.  Even if I think they're dumb, debates on that topic have to reference one's total body of work.

• Positions have nothing to do with the ability of a player to be a catalyst.  Was Bob Cousy a catalyst?  Was Larry Bird a catalyst?  Was John Havlicek a catalyst?  Was Jerry West a catalyst?  Was Bill Russell a catalyst?  Five positions, five catalysts.  

• Nor does age matter.  I've described Jae Crowder as a catalyst, and he's a young one.

• Nor does "playing a different game" matter.  Did Bob Cousy and Larry Bird play different games, and was each in his own fashion a bona fide catalyst?

What I said was that I'd have to go back a way to think of a Celtic who had a similar ability as Isaiah's to impose his will on opponents and also be a catalyst for his teammates.  Larry was the most recent one I could think of who truly fit the description.  Heck, I could have gone all the way back to Cousy, and you'd have been the first one to bleat that I had overlooked Larry.

Two people can smile the same way or cough the same way or walk the same way or run the same way or reason the same way, and those things are often called "traits."  They don't have to be of the same religion or the same socio-economic background or the same age or the same sex or at the same intelligence level or from the same time period or in the same occupation to share traits.  Same with basketball players when it comes to an attribute, such as being a catalyst, that cuts across basketball types.

I have absolutely no idea what you mean by, "...has parts of his game that are similar to the one being compared."

Sam

Sam I don't think IT has any one skill that is so good or efficient that I would call Bird-like or is worthy of mentioning in the same sentence or conversation with Larry Bird, thats my opinion.

Forget it Cow.  If you don't get it, you don't get it.  I'm not talking about a skill similarity.  I'm talking about the fact that an important ingredient in both their games was/is the catalytic effect they had/have on the game and their teammates.  I didn't even say Isaiah was as good at it as Larry was.  I'm talking about one similar quality in their respective repertoires.  Simple as that.  How about if they both put on their left shoes first?  Would it then be okay to mention the similarity?

Sam

Sam

On Perhaps being a catalyst. In IT's case he has been coming off the bench. Game has already developed a flow..or in many cases that flow has slowed or stopped . He does provide a spark most of the time. Bird, on the other hand started the game. I understand what you are pointing out.

Just a little different take, A bench player sort of like McHale or Hondo (early years) might better make your point, than a starter like Bird.

beat

Beat,

I'm talking about WHETHER a player's playing style was such that one of his predominant traits was catalytic, not WHEN or UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS he was a catalyst.  I wouldn't place McHale in that category because I consider him a great, high-production scorer/rebounder/defender but without the degree of infectious, persistent, catalytic, leadership qualities I'd associate with Larry then or Isaiah now.  But, if it helps to substitute McHale for Bird, by all means go for it.  I mentioned Havlicek earlier, but I was looking for a more recent example.

Thanks for suggesting the different take, which I definitely understand.

Sam

Sam

I guess to me a catalyst is something ADDED to something that already exists that makes something greater happen. Sort of like a chemical experiment. And if I had studied a bit harder in Chemistry I could perhaps even cite an example.

beat

sam

For me its not about catalytic or whatever term you want to use, its longevity and impact with that, 6th man of the year could easily be Lou Williams, his impact off the bench is as impactful as IT's, and McHale had far greater impact as a 2 way player than IT, but thats a whole another discussion. But how can you use your terms/compliments on IT when hes clearly had only 2 good months as a Celtic? his 2 months are worthy of a comparison of Larry Birds impact? even if its not in totality, your term, don't you think he should at least earn a few all star berths before hes worthy of a comparison to Larry Bird? I don't throw out compliments like that after a few good games or stretches, as do most pundits.....

cow

Cow, maybe if I rephrase it, things will come into better focus.  I never intimated Isaiah had as much impact or as long an impact as Larry.  I simply feel that what Isaiah is accomplishing on a nightly basis has, in my opinion, infused the bench, and possibly the entire team, with an energetic, opportunistic, persistent group mentality that the very same Celtics just didn't have a few months ago and that I don't recall since Larry's day.

I needed only to look down from the balcony during the last minute of today's game to see what I believe reflects the essence of the "new" Celtics.  Up by 39, they were still diving to the floor for loose balls.  Now I don't see Isaiah as much of a diver; but I believe that kind of instinct for doing whatever it takes to succeed is an offshoot of Isaiah's attitude whereby he refuses to be denied.

You apparently think I'm insulting Larry.  That's nonsense!  I'm actually holding him up as a catalytic model, which is a huge compliment.  Larry had an amazing impact on his teammates; and right now Isaiah is having a substantial impact on his teammates.  Not (yet) as long-term an impact as Larry's; not (yet) as intense an impact; not (yet) the same forms of impact as Larry; but like Larry—an impact on the whole team rather than just individual contributions such as a guy like Lou Williams can provide.

Sam

Dboss,

I'll gladly settle for the way they played yesterday in (1) knocking down their shots (55% including 42% from the arc), (2) scratching, clawing and stealing the ball on defense (20 steals), (3) assisting all over the place (29 assists on 46 field goals, (4) distributing the scoring (7 guys in double figures and another one with 9), and (5) hustling like they were being pursued by demons.  It seemed like they fed off their own energy to seek even greater heights in terms of energy.

Sam

dboss sam

I hope you realize Cavs were resting their starters and totally giving the game away.

cow