We woke up to the current-5th seed Celtics on a nice little 4-game win streak (so what if the last 3 wins were against current non-playoff teams?) and just a half-game out of the top-half of the league. This is the second-best defensive team in the league (98.7 defensive rating), they are 7th in terms of net rating, and they could have an All Star by the time we go to bed tonight.* So let’s have a look back at the things that we (I) liked and didn’t like after last night’s win over Denver.
(*East Coast Bias alert)
4 UP
1: Evan Turner
I’m card-carrying member of the “get Turner out of Boston” club, but facts are facts… he’s been a pretty impactful player over this 4-game winning streak. Last night, Turner was the calming force hitting clutch jumpers to hold Denver at bay and never really get close enough to force a complete Boston collapse. His 63.6% true shooting was on par with Isaiah Thomas and he also had that fun stretch of the last-second shot/fast break dunk/flying body bumps. And then he wore this…
Evan Turner auditioning for spot with Hart Foundation. #PinkAndBlackAttack pic.twitter.com/AVXp4RR1R1
— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) January 28, 2016
… a jacket he apparently stole from Pinky Tuscadero (that current reference is sure to bowl the kids over) So for now… ET’s off my shit list. I’m sure he’s proud. I’m gonna save that seat for him though… I’m sure he’ll be back soon
2: Amir Johnson
He did all the underrated little things in there… check out the stat line and the plays he made here:
Amir Johnson (9 PTS, 13 REB, 6 AST) was our @HRBlock Clutch Player of the Game in last night’s win. https://t.co/NtVPhdujmD — Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 28, 2016
Six assists was tied with ET for a team-high and he had as many steals as Avery Bradley. Amir was, as usualy, quietly vital to this win.
3: Swarming D
They’re averaging 9.7 steals this season but in the last 4 games, the Celtics have had 14, 14, 12, and 15 steals last night. The league record is 12.91…
They’ll have to really pick up the pace for the rest of the season and play like they did last night, but man doesn’t it feel like that record is in sight? The team record is 12.04… so even if they don’t get the NBA record, a healthy defensive Celtics team could make a run at that.
4: This kid
Because this kid is awesome, and this is how you celebrate a 4-game win streak.
4 Down
1: The mental letdown
This is happening less frequently, I think, because Marcus Smart’s intensity on the floor is raising the overall level of play at times where guys might relax… but it’s still happening. But that 12-2 mid-4th quarter run was a little more than just “every team makes a run.” It was the result of some lazy play and settling for jumpers at a time Denver was ready to quit.
2: Poor shooting from the usual suspects
Marcus Smart: zero field goals 0-5 shooting (0-2 from 3). Though he did have a nice play where he could have chucked an open 3 but instead drove and got free throws (which he made). So it’s not ALL bad. I liked that bit of progression. Jared Sullinger: He only made 2 of 8 shots, but again, not ALL bad. He only took 1 long 2 and no 3’s. Everything else was a mostly palatable shot, and he had a team-best 91 defensive rating. But I have committed to this bit and I have to find bad things to say in a good win. Shit, I’ve got 2 more things to fill.
3: Crowder’s shot selection
In all seriousness… I think Jae sometimes falls in love with jumpers a little
Not a huge thing, and it’s just going to happen that way some nights. I just think he’s so effective going to the rim. Eventually, though, teams are going to start forcing him to the left and seeing if he can get to the rim that way too… so it’s worth watching if that’s where he pulls up more often moving forward.
4: This guy
— John Karalis (@RedsArmy_John) January 28, 2016
Look, Ben Affleck, I know you’re trying to promote your crappy super hero movie, but let’s take this somewhere else, OK?
Overall, a lot more positive than negative. The struggling Orlando Magic are next, and the Celtics have typically let down in these situations so far this season. Can a fully healthy squad avoid that and go on an extended streak?
