We’re three games into the NBA season, which is absolutely no time to make any determinations about anything. Any current player is capable of having a three-game stretch that is way above personal averages, but there are a few things that are worth noting now to see if they’re going to continue and become trends.
So here now are five true facts about the Celtics after three measly games:
1: Avery Bradley is filling it up
AB’s defense is very well-known, but right now he’s also averaging 17.7 points per game while shooting 50% (38.5%) from 3. He’s tied for 38th in the league. For a guy whose contract was just lamented by many as too rich, we’re seeing a guy who can be a scorer as well. The one thing to note is that the more he dribbles, the less effective he is:
Pardon the sizing. You can go to Bradley’s full page for a better look.
Regardless, the percentages REALLY drop the more Bradley dribbles. He’s a catch-and-shoot guy who can take maybe a dribble or two to create some space.
If Bradley can stick to that and keep going, it won’t be long before his contract looks like a bargain.
2: So is Jeff Green
Did you realize Jeff Green is currently the NBA’s 12th-leading scorer?
The biggest factor in Green averaging 23 points per game (as a career 14.2 ppg guy) is his 3-point shooting. He’s taking 7.3 3-pointers a game so far this year. His career average is 3 per game, and last year he took 4.8. This year in Stevens’ wide open offense, Green has the, ummm… green… light to let it fly. He’s making 2.7 3-pointers per game so far a very nice 36.4% clip. Eight of Green’s points every night are coming from beyond the arc.
If this keeps up, then he’s opting out of his contract for sure.
3: Rajon Rondo is passing like crazy
After 3 games, Rondo leads NBA in assists per game (11.7), assist opportunities per game (21.3) & points created by assists per game (26.3).
— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) November 4, 2014
Rondo has struggled with his own offense, which may not be surprising when you consider his history of trouble against bigger teams with rim-protectors like Dallas & Houston. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t created a ton of offense for his teammates.
And for all the ball domination criticism, Rondo is 15th in the league in “time of possession”… metric measured by the NBA’s new player tracking system. He’s holding the ball for 6.7 minutes per game, less than Kemba Walker (6.9), Ricky Rubio (7.3), Chris Paul (7.4), Tony Parker (7.6), and John Wall (9.0).
In addition to the above stats, he’s second to Paul in total passes per game (80.7).
4: The Celtics offense isn’t the problem
The Celtics are the third-highest scoring team in the NBA (108 ppg). They rank first in field goals attempted (96). Couple that with slightly above average overall shooting (45.5%, 12th in the NBA) and you get a lot of points. The Celtics are tied for 7th in 3-point attempts, but just 25th in percentage thanks to that debacle in Houston. Still, the Celtics are following their offensive plan quite nicely… get a lot of shots ups, shoot okay, and stay competitive offensively.
Defensively, though, the Celtics are 29th in points allowed and they’re 24th in defensive rating. For a team that was going for a defense-first identity, this is a real problem.
5: Marcus Smart has a positive impact
Marcus Smart is part of the three best 2-man lineups, two of the top four 3-man lineups, five of the top seven 4-man lineups, and the top 5-man lineup. So basically, having Marcus Smart on the floor has produced some of the most positive results through three games. Like I said this morning, we’re quickly approaching time to work Smart into the lineup a lot more.
That’s it. Keep an eye on these five things moving forward to if they’ll last.
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