Dec 30, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Celtics are 20-14 this season. Here are five early season takeaways as they approach the halfway point of the season.
The Boston Celtics are in good shape entering 2017 at third in the Eastern Conference. Head coach Brad Stevens has the team peaking at the right time as the regular season schedule is almost halfway through.
The Celtics had a reasonable offseason in free agency as they signed former Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford to a four-year deal worth $113 million. There were numerous reports that team was looking to shop guard Isaiah Thomas and forward Jae Crowder, but keeping these two has been a blessing in disguise in the early going.
However, Horford has only played in 24 of 34 games for the Celtics so far this season. The 30-year-old center missed seven games while battling a concussion early in the season.
Crowder has missed eight games as well. He sprained his left ankle on Nov. 2 but is almost back to full health.
Injuries aside, Boston is 10th in the the NBA in scoring offense, averaging 106.1 points per game as a team. The team is third in the league in assists per game, dishing out 24.9 per contest. The scoring offense is on the same pace as last season, but the defense is not. The Celtics are in the middle of the pack on defense, allowing 104.3 points per game.
However, the Celtics are surging at the right time. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games. Point guard Isaiah Thomas scored a career-high 52 points (including 29 in the fourth quarter) in Boston’s 117-114 victory over the Miami Heat on Dec. 30.
Here are five early takeaways from the Celtics start to the season.
Dec 29, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
5. The Celtics are developing their rotation nicely
The Boston Celtics have played well in their last 10 games. They’ve allowed 107.4 points per game, but they’ve also forced 15.4 turnovers and earned 9.4 steals, which is also above the team’s season average.
While the team ranks just 21st in the NBA in blocks per game with 4.4, center Al Horford is averaging two blocks himself. Between power forwards Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko, they haven’t gotten much on the defensive end but with such a deep bench, they’ve made up for it.
Guard Marcus Smart is averaging 9.5 points, 4.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game for the Boston Celtics this season. He is averaging 1.5 steals per game and providing physicality on defense when needed. Smart is adjusting well in just his third season in the NBA since arriving from Oklahoma State.
Center Kelly Olynyk is also averaging 1.1 steals per game in their last 10 games off the bench. Olynyk hasn’t been the greatest player on defense for the Celtics, but when it comes to assets, he’s a good piece to have.
The Celtics have one of the youngest rosters in the NBA. Players on the roster have an average age of 25.6 years old. They are one of eight teams with an average age of 25 or below. With such a young roster, there’s no need to panic on defense just yet, as they’re still figuring the rotation out.
Dec 29, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
4. Gerald Green has been a spark for the Celtics this season
Speaking of rotation, the Boston Celtics may have surprised everybody when they signed veteran guard Gerald Green and instantly threw him in the mix.
On Dec. 27, Green scored 19 points in just about 19 minutes of play. He shot 7-for-10 from the field, 3-for-5 from three to give the Boston Celtics a huge victory over Memphis 113-103.
Through 34 games, Gerald Green is averaging just 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and an assist per game, but he’s embraced his role as instant offense off the bench. It’s worked so far for both parties. Green was out of the NBA from 2009-11 and has since been on five different NBA teams since his return.
Green was originally drafted by the Boston Celtics as the 18th pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. This bodes well for guys like guard Marcus Smart and rookie Jaylen Brown on the roster. Green is a veteran who has been humbled by his 11-year NBA career.
Ultimately, his patience has paid off and its showed. Green has only appeared in 17 of 34 games for Boston this season. But he’s still shooting 58.3 percent both from the floor and three in his last four appearances. This NBA season has been a lesson for the 31-year-old and he’s passed with flying colors so far.
Dec 30, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
3. Jaylen Brown is a good fit so far in Boston
Rookie small forward Jaylen Brown is being eased in nicely and that’s a good thing for him in Boston. The third overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft has started just four games this season but appeared in all 34.
Brown is averaging 4.9 points and 1.8 rebounds in 13.4 minutes of play so far this season. While it may not look like much, it’s worth noting, Brown has scored in double figures five times this season.
Back on Nov. 3, Brown had a career-high 19 points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Granted the team lost 128-122 but his production was hard to ignore. Brown was able to show he can shoot the ball with volume. He made 8-of-16 shots in the game, three of them from the three-point line. Brown also played a season-high 35 minutes in that game.
It’s been a relatively good fit for Brown so far under head coach Brad Stevens. At 20-14, we could start seeing Brown thrown in the mix whole lot more. After all, when you want to get the most out of your youth, you have to play them, right?
Dec 18, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
2. Avery Bradley is healthy and much better offensively
When shooting guard Avery Bradley went down in the first round of last year’s NBA playoffs with a hamstring injury, the Celtics became a broken team. They were bounced from the first round by the Atlanta Hawks, 4-2. As one of the team’s best defenders, Bradley was missed by-and-large in the playoffs.
Fast forward to this season and Bradley looks healthier than he’s ever been. In their last 10 games, Bradley is averaging 17.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals. He missed their game on Dec. 30 with an illness.
Bradley has had a good start to the 2016-17 season so far. He’s got nine double-doubles and has scored 20 points or more 10 times this year. He had 31 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in a 104-98 win back on Oct. 29 against the Charlotte Hornets. Bradley made eight three-pointers in that game.
The 25-year-old shooting guard is shooting a career-high 48.1 percent from the floor and 40.6 from three. His development is coming at a good time for the Boston Celtics. As the season progresses, look for Bradley to elevate his play on both ends, especially when Isaiah Thomas is playing well.
Dec 30, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
1. It’s a good thing Boston did not trade Isaiah Thomas
Well, it’s been good for the Boston Celtics that they kept point guard Isaiah Thomas this season. At 5’9″, Thomas tends to take a bit of criticism as one-dimensional and undersized, but he hasn’t let that stop him at all this season.
Thomas is averaging 27.7 points, 6.1 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game in 30 games for the Boston Celtics. The seven-year point guard is getting to the free throw line a career-high nine times per game. He is seventh in the NBA in free throws made with 271 free throw attempts. Thomas is 90.4 percent from the free throw line this season.
Thomas is averaging a career-high in points and shooting 45 percent from the floor this season. He scored 52 points with zero assists in the team’s 117-114 victory over Miami on Dec. 30. Thomas set the record for most points in a quarter in franchise history with 29 points in the fourth. He shot 9-for-13 from three and 13-for-13 from the free throw line.
The feisty guard has made a lot of noise for the Boston Celtics this season and it’s shown through their 20-14 record. He has scored 30 points or more in nine games this season. As the All-Star Break approaches, look for Thomas and the Celtics to challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
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