This Just In: Celtics Are Good At Defense

by Jeff Clark on Feb 7, 2012 6:12 AM EST in Boston Celtics News & Links

Just in case you need some numbers to back up what your eyes tell you - the Celtics are playing some very good defense.

Defense has been key to the Celtics’ resurgence - The Boston Globe

The Celtics have not allowed a team to score 100 or more points since the second game at Miami, when the Heat scored 115. Although their defense has been a strength all season, the intensity and precision has increased the past nine games. In that stretch, behind the rejuvenated Kevin Garnett and the ball pressure of Avery Bradley, the Celtics have allowed opponents just 81.2 points per game on 38.8 percent shooting. Only the Cavaliers and Wizards have managed to shoot more than 45 percent and the Magic and Raptors combined for 120 points. Boston is second in the NBA in points allowed (86.7, behind the 76ers), which has been a savior because the Celtics are a stunning 25th in scoring.

I guess defense wins, but it would help to get a little better at offense too. Just a thought.

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I agree, Jeff.

But more than “getting a little better on offense”, I say, great defense is wasted if we can’t get the defensive rebounds. The true test of the C’s new found winning ways is when we get to the road games schedule and with bigger Western teams.

by japsuki on Feb 7, 2012 6:29 AM EST reply actions

um those numbers show that we ARE getting def rebounds

We are holding teams to the second lowest points per possession. That means we are ending their possessions without them scoring and that only happens if they turn it over or we grab a defensive rebound. We are creating TOs, but we are also grabbing DRBs. Our DRb% is still average for the year, but is much higher of late.

NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.

by mmmmm on Feb 7, 2012 9:27 AM EST via iPhone app up reply actions

Aah yes you are correct... My bad.

I think that comment of mine was for 2-3 weeks ago :D

by japsuki on Feb 7, 2012 9:47 AM EST up reply actions

JRsmith we should atleast give him a look knocked down 60pts off the bench

by EXER123 on Feb 7, 2012 2:11 PM EST up reply actions

Pursue jr smith...

Or someone who can be a gunner off the bench.

by jaimsitecom on Feb 7, 2012 8:44 AM EST via mobile reply actions

yea agree smith be a big off boost

by EXER123 on Feb 7, 2012 2:11 PM EST up reply actions

stifling defense not only wins games but has a mental

effect on opposing players. next time the visit us they gonna think , oh celtics ? god they dont let me score. Scoring provides mental motivation to a team. stopping it makes them recede in mental game. these are intangibles of defensive game.

by Celtics Fan From NJ on Feb 7, 2012 9:46 AM EST reply actions

Amen!

I guess defense wins, but it would help to get a little better at offense too. Just a thought.

Actually, i would take this a step further.

Defense does not win basketball games. It is a condition for being a good team. It can be a good team’s strength.

But. Defense cannot win tough games that are tight down the stretch when the offense has to execute in the half court and the referees swallow their whistles.

In basketball, you must keep scoring. Hot streaks don’t last, and no matter how good your defense is, the other team can score when you don’t want it to. You must keep scoring.

I cannot put into words how discouraging it is to see the C’s get a dozen stops in a row … and score maybe 1 point in the stretch.

Conventional wisdom dismisses offense far too easily. Scoring matters. In the end, championship teams do one thing better than anyone else: they are able to score points in the half court down the stretch of tight games.

by Thresholder on Feb 7, 2012 9:51 AM EST reply actions

I'd leave it at: They are equally important.

A point scored == a point prevented. And vice versa.

The most compelling measure that correlates with being a champion is net difference between your offensive rating (points per 100 possessions) and your defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions). I think the Celtics have only won the title once with a margin below +5 and that was somewhat illusory if I recall because that was a year where the team that hit the playoffs was healthier and better than what played much of the regular season. In ’08 our margin was over +10 – which was one of the greatest such margins ever.

Whether you achieve that by defense or offense or both, great teams need to have a wide margin.

I will say that, in general, defense is more reliable – it doesn’t go into shooting slumps. So most ‘championship teams’ tend to have relied heavily on the defensive side of the equation – but you are absolutely correct that you need offense as well.

NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.

by mmmmm on Feb 7, 2012 10:30 AM EST up reply actions