5 Changes the Boston Celtics Have to Make to Get Back on Track
An impressive road win over the Chicago Bulls (Nov. 8)had Boston Celtics fans feeling on top of the world at 3-3, but after disheartening home losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder (Nov. 12) and Cleveland Cavaliers (Nov. 14), it is clear that not all is well in Beantown.
This is a young team without elite talent, so some erratic play is expected, but that doesn’t mean the C’s should accept mediocrity.
When the Celtics have been at their best this season, they’ve embraced head coach Brad Stevens’ new offensive style, chucked three-pointers at will and played just enough defense to get by.
However, when they haven’t, they have been a mess of sloppy defense, bricked shots and general discombobulation.
Still, there are fixes out there—both for the short and long term—that can seriously help the C’s get back on track.
Use Evan Turner as a Playmaker
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The signing of Evan Turner has been up and down so far, as the former No. 2 overall pick is averaging 8.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and three assists in Celtic green.
He has primarily been playing as a big guard off the bench, and his shining moment in 2014-15 came when Stevens gave him the freedom to handle the ball against the Bulls.
Turner poured in 19 points, snared five rebounds and dished out six dimes as he powered Boston to an impressive victory without Rajon Rondo.
Turner hasn’t played that well in subsequent games, but with Marcus Smart still a few weeks out, per NESN’s Zack Cox, Stevens should be willing to give Turner a longer leash.
Sure he’ll take his share of frustrating mid-range jumpers and make a few careless errors, but Turner is a legitimate NBA facilitator who can create good shots for his teammates.
Instead of relying on Phil Pressey, who is a complete non-threat as a scorer, or Avery Bradley, who clearly excels playing off the ball, Boston should be content to let Turner handle some playmaking duties when Rondo rests.
His game isn’t pretty, but the athletic Turner can get to the rim and use his 6’7” size to his advantage.
According to 82games.com, Turner has posted a 15.0 PER while playing the 2 compared to an 8.7 PER at small forward.
It’s still early, but that is a significant disparity.
Boston is currently first in the league in assists per game at 26.3, and while a lot of that is due to Rondo’s wizardry, Turner has been a solid contributor.
The Celtics need some offensive spark off their bench, and Turner is the best bet to provide that, but only if he has the ball in his hands.
He’s shooting just 11.1 percent from three and isn’t exactly much of a spot-up threat.
Turner isn’t nearly the defender Smart is, but while the star rookie is gone, Boston should be relying as much as possible on Turner’s off-the-pine creativity.
Jack a Few Less Threes
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When the new Spurs-style run-and-gun offense is working, it’s a thrill to watch, but Boston really isn’t a good enough shooting team to launch as many triples as it does.
The C’s are fourth in the league in three-point attempts at 25.4 but just 28th in percentage at 30.
Boston was a little more conservative against Cleveland, connecting on six of 20 triples, but that’s far from a stellar clip.
The problem is that Boston just doesn’t have any quality volume shooters who can still be efficient while launching seven or eight threes per game.
Jeff Green takes plenty, but he’s hitting just 33.3 percent of his 6.4 attempts, and while players like Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk are legitimate threats, their threes should not be essential offensive weapons.
Rondo was hot against the Thunder, but he’s still better as a mid-range shooter, and Bradley has been slumping to start the season.
There’s nothing wrong with being three-happy and working the ball around the perimeter, but these Celtics are also prone to some quick and questionable long bombs.
Boston’s fast-paced offense is an attempt to offset its lack of a singular one-on-one talent, but this strategy isn’t always the right call.
Sometimes dialing back the three-pointers, particularly when they build a big lead like in the Cavs game, can pay dividends, as it slows things down and leads to better looks.
The C’s still do have Rondo, who can get to the rim and create quality shots pretty consistently.
There’s no reason for Boston to abandon the three-pointer, but being a bit more judicious could pay dividends going forward.
Acquire a Rim Protector
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This one is pretty simple. Boston has a decent crop of big men, but not one of them can protect the basket to save his life.
As CelticsBlog noted, “It's an old story that's repeated itself since Danny Ainge traded Kendrick Perkins for Jeff Green: The Celtics need a rim protector.”
Olynyk and Sully have been having nice offensive seasons, and Tyler Zeller has been competent off the bench, but they aren't addressing the defensive deficiencies.
Sullinger is ground-bound and not tall enough at 6’9” to be a threat, while Olynyk doesn’t have the timing down and is comically foul-prone despite a solid effort.
Zeller does his best defense on the block and simply can’t consistently contest shots.
This lack of paint protection is the main reason Boston is giving up 108.4 points per game, third-worst in the entire league.
On the perimeter, the Celts have little to worry about. Rondo, Smart and Bradley can be a little overaggressive at times, but they are absolute defensive stalwarts.
The problem is once the opponent successfully executes a pick-and-roll, guards are getting all the way to the hoop without a problem.
There’s a reason guards like Kyle Lowry, Kyrie Irving and even Aaron Brooks have torched the C’s with ease.
Finding a shot-blocker isn’t exactly easy, and while Bill Simmons has floated the idea of trading for JaVale McGee, there haven’t been any substantive rumors so far.
Play Green at the 4
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One of the keys to Boston’s early success has been using Green more at the 4 than ever.
Green is averaging a solid 18.9 points, five rebounds and 2.1 assists, albeit on 43.1 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from distance.
Part of the reason he has been so effective is that the C’s have been going small with him at power forward, where his speed and athleticism are more of an asset. As Bleacher Report’s Brian Robb noted:
"As the season progresses, Stevens seems committed to finding ways to keep Green building off his standout play at both forward positions. Green will continue to face matchup issues against bigger power forwards who can bully him in the post and neutralize him on the glass, but the gains Boston makes with Green's athleticism at the position may be able to offset those negatives.
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Green has some problems defending 4s, given his lighter weight, but he creates a nightmarish mismatch on offense.
He can hit jumpers, finish at the rim and use his quick first step to drive around slower, bulkier 4s.
He isn’t a great rebounder, which makes leaving him at the 4 for long stretches difficult, but Boston’s offense is much better with Green at power forward.
Learn to Close out Games
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This is easier said than done, but the Celtics really have been a dreadful fourth-quarter team.
Boston managed to hold on against Chicago, but it lost a huge lead late against Cleveland and struggled mightily in the final period against OKC.
Boston’s lack of a proven scorer means it sometimes goes through scoring droughts, and it can get pretty grim watching the squad for the last 12 minutes.
The team will jack up difficult jumpers or tough shots in the paint while allowing easy fast-break points to the opponent.
The offense will also often become much sloppier, as ordinarily on-target passes sail out of bounds and players struggle to make proper, crisp cuts.
Part of the problem may be Stevens’ willingness to try different lineups late in games, which can mess with continuity on both ends of the floor.
Boston is a young team, so closing out contests was always going to be an issue, but it’s not like Rondo and Green are newbies when it comes to big matchups.
The C’s suffered a heartbreaking loss against the Cavs, and they need to fix their fourth-quarter woes if they hope to avoid a similar fate going forward.
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