All Eyes on Boston
After an eventful off-season for the NBA's eastern conference, there is no debate that there will be a competition for the number one seed this year. It's safe to say that there's a large number of teams vying for the top seed in the soon-to-be playoffs. Boston fell short in last year's NBA Finals, but currently stands out as one of the top teams after the first week of the season.
From the beginning of last season, the Celtics were at a loss. They seemed unable to communicate, forcing unnecessary shots and facing major offensive issues. Boston had the players to make them a great team, yet they needed help putting the pieces together. By February, the Celtics had turned themselves around and we were watching a whole different team. The aggression, offensive consistency, and tenacious defense made the Celtics arguably the best team in the league at the time. Unfortunately, after a mostly successful playoff run, the Celtics fell short to the Golden State Warriors, in the finals, with a 4-2 game record. Although they fell short of their goals, the Celtics showed the whole league that they were a force to be reckoned with.
After the first 3 games of the season and a 3-0 record, it's a fair assumption that Boston will be one of the top contenders for the number one seed. These predictions are not made off their record, but off the complex playstyle they are using within these games. The fantastic new additions of Malcolm Brogdon, Blake Griffin, and Noah Vonleh have added comfort to the offensive aggression, with the returners and new coaching strategies from new head coach Joe Mazzulla. With this new philosophy, the Celtics are bound to make it far into the playoffs.
The new roster additions of Vonleh, Griffin, and Brogdon already seem to have great chemistry with the team. All three additions seem just as invested, if not more, in making it to the finals with determination and grit. After playing overseas in China last season, Noah Vonleh was put into a situation that required a fast adjustment. The international game of basketball is extremely different from the NBA, and being put in as a backup center for the Celtics is a complex task after being away from the NBA for 2 years. Vonleh is taking charge as the backup center for the Celtics after starting center, Robert Williams, is out for a large portion of the season due to recovery from his knee surgery. Most people would see this as a challenge, but Vonleh sees it as an opportunity to prove himself. After Al Hortford had 3 fouls early in the game against Joel Embiid and the 76'ers, Vonleh took the challenge of guarding arguably the most dominant big man in the league with Embiid. Vonleh did not disappoint while holding Embiid to 26 points and a plus/minus of minus 16 and keeping himself out of foul trouble. Although Vonleh isn't the biggest offensive threat, he has done a great job with hustling for every rebound and setting screens so the guards can produce a lot more efficiently. New addition Blake Griffin may not have a prominent role on the team yet, but he can make his presence known in just minutes. His hustle and aggression lead to many dive-balls, rebounds, and he has the ability to consistently guard the front court. Malcolm Brogdon has been very impressive in his first-week debut, scoring 16, 7, and 13 points in the first three games, while showing an elite level of patience with the ball. Watching Brogdon, it seems he rarely ever makes mistakes. He's excellent off the pick and roll, can finish around the rim, and understands when he needs to step up for the team. Knowing a lot of defensive pressure is on players like Tatum and Brown, he can take some pressure off their shoulders by giving great minutes on both sides of the court. These players were great additions made by Brad Stevens and with them comes potential for the rest of the season.
With Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scoring a combined total of 70 points in the home opener, there's no doubt this could potentially be the best duo in the league this year. The most impactful thing about this duo is that they can now be efficient even without the ball in their hands throughout the whole possession. Tatum and Brown are producing more points this season by cutting to the basket off-ball more, involving their teammates, and playing consistent and confident basketball. After the devastating loss in the finals last year, Jayson Tatum has come out to say he is still very frustrated with himself, and is coming into this season with that frustration, but channeling it as drive for the game. It's evident in the way he plays because of his attitude on the court. At this juncture, Tatum has scored 35, 29, and 40 points in his three games while shooting 55 percent from the field. He has gotten much more comfortable around the rim with difficult layups, and has drastically improved his shot selection. Tatum is more well-versed in how to win games, taking advantage of his teammates, making him a bigger threat this season. Jaylen Brown is also showing significant signs of improvement, scoring 35, 28, and 12 points in his first 3 games while shooting 47 percent from the field. Last season Brown had some trouble with free throws, but seems to have improved, shooting 91 percent from the line. Many other players in the roster are showing significant improvement to their game, but if the Celtics want to be considered one of the dominant teams in the league, their role players, such as Al Hortford, Marcus Smart, and Grant Williams need to step up more. Al Hortford has been a veteran to lead this young team, but he needs to be more ball dominant to take the pressure off Tatum and Brown. If he can channel the side of him we saw in the playoffs, it would be a major benefit to the Celtics. Grant Williams needs to stay out of foul trouble, something that has been a challenge for him his whole career. Williams’ large stature on defense and his elite shot-making from the three are essential at the end of day for Boston, especially when they don't have Williams back yet.
The biggest spectacle of this season is how well Joe Mazzullo is coaching this young team so far. His motto for this year is "be fearless," and we can clearly see these results from him. Mazzullo doesn't shy away from a challenge, and utilizes his arsenal of players extremely well. His coaching style brings more off-ball dominance to the Celtics, with a lot of cutting to the basket and off-ball screens to give players open looks. Mazzullo has very large shoes to fill with Ime Udoka's sudden departure from the team, but he’s showing a high level of confidence in himself and his players.
The Boston Celtics have a long road ahead of them this season, but they have the tools to bring them back to the finals for another year. If they can work through their challenges with a new coach, injuries, and attitude, this could be a historic year for the city of Boston.