Boston Celtics 2008 Preview: Driven to Defend?

How can the Boston Celtics' top last season? By going undefeated?

A better question is, "Who can stop them?"

The answer is no one. Not a single team. The Celtics were unbeatable when they played with determination and intention. Their best was better than any other team’s best.

The Boston Celtics cut a wide and deep swath of destruction on their way to the 2008 NBA Title.  Surprising to many, they did it with focused, intense team defense.

Tri Once Again

The Boston Triangle is back. It still begins and ends with the three stars. The only question is if they will have the drive that they did last year.

Many talk about how hard it is to repeat. No Celtic team has done it without Bill Russell on the team. Not Bird, not Cowens, not Havlicek—not even Greg Kite.

But it is not impossible. It is not even improbable. Except for one year (1999), there were repeat NBA champions consistently from 1988–2002.

Garnett, Pierce, and Ray Allen make the game easier for their teammates. Can their teammates make things easier on them?

Offensively balanced and efficient, but never boring

In terms of shot selection, the Celtics have a unique and truly balanced attack:

24 percent outside shots at .381 (fifth-highest accuracy in the league)

40 percent midrange shots at .417 (fifth-highest accuracy in the league)

34 percent inside shots at .613 (tenth-highest accuracy in the league).

Paul Pierce can produce points from anywhere on the court. Ray Allen and Eddie House launch heat seekers, and Garnett has one of the most consistent 15- to 18-footers I’ve ever seen. He is also underrated in the post.

Rondo has to improve his outside shot.  And it would be nice if Kendrick Perkins showed more a bit more offense.

Is there a chink in their armor?

If we are going to pick on anything for the team as a whole, perhaps the post play might need improvement. Sagging defenses must be addressed. They are partially related.

12 percent of Celtic inside shots (tied for fourth-worst) were blocked during the regular season. Only Charlotte, Chicago, and Dallas had a higher percentage blocked. That is not good company. But I wouldn't break up the team because of it.

They sometimes settled too quickly for jumpers. Not surprising for an excellent outside shooting team. But remember the defense this team played. Then factor in that they led the league, by far, with a 10-point win margin. It suggests that little was wrong with this team’s offense or defense.

The stats say that the Celtics were the 18th-worst post defense (.602 percent allowed). But even this number is deceiving. The Celtics were the league’s No. 1 stingiest with inside shots allowed per game—29 percent tied with the Spurs.

How much have they changed?

Gone: James Posey, PJ Brown, Scot Pollard, Sam Cassell (maybe not)

Arrived:  Darius Miles, Patrick O’Bryant, JR Giddens, Bill Walker

With Tony Allen targeted for more minutes, the C's add quickness, a slashing attack, and an inconsistent jump shot. Allen is a disrupter defensively.  Doc’s favorite phrase for him is "instigator."

25 years of league experience between Posey and Brown are gone. Who will dole out the hard fouls now? More important, their 166 playoff games of experience are gone.

Can this Celtic team lose that kind of experience and make a return run at the title? 

Posey was a unique presence on this team. A clutch performer, he hustled, hugged and helped the team in a variety of ways. The team’s system also helped him. Yet, Danny knows he won’t replace Posey’s versatile contributions with just one player.

Point Guard

First, remember that the Celtics won it all last season with this same group. Rajon Rondo’s jump shot, Eddie House’s handle and "Sudden Sam" Cassell’s shooting were less than perfect.

But Rondo is a terrific defender, and did incredibly well for a second-year point guard. House added some great hustle plays. Sam—if signed—can handle against pressure and must always be guarded, whether he is off or on. Two-year USC guard Gabe Pruitt is vaguely in the picture, too.

The Bench Additions: Younger, Athletic, Unknown

With a solid "culture of discipline" established by Garnett, Pierce and Allen, Danny is willing to take a few chances.

J.R. Giddens and Tony Allen mostly will back-up at guard, while Bill Walker and Darius Miles—if he is kept—will back up at small forward. Giddens and Walker are very talented rookies with troubled pasts. Giddens had maturity issues and Bill Walker had health issues. If Darius Miles makes the team, he gives them the long small forward that they are missing. 

It was recently announced that stalwart defender and starting center Kendrick Perkins' surgically repaired left shoulder is not completely healed. They think he will be ready for the start of the season. Unsung Perkins is vital to the Celtics defense. This is not a deep position for the Celtics.

It puts Patrick O’Bryant up to the plate, perhaps before he is ready. KG can also play center, but Leon Powe may get some playing time there as well until Perkins is ready.

Patrick O’Bryant’s offense seems tailor-made for the half-court set. A good weak-side shot blocker, he must learn to rotate quickly to stay on the floor on this team.

Powe and Davis

The ‘Glen Davis and Leon Powe Show" is back for another year, and should only improve. Second-year pro Powe proved to be more consistent last season, and has the edge going into this campaign.

But don’t tell that to nimble-footed big man Glen Davis. He spent the entire summer in Boston losing weight and working hard on his game. With intriguing potential, he will once again push Powe for playing time. Both are excellent offensive rebounders.

6'8" Brian Scalabrine is waiting in the wings to help the team any way he can. He can hit the three and defends certain matchups well. The Celtics were 19-4 in games that Brian played 10 minutes or more.

Trade possibilities?

If O’Bryant doesn’t develop as hoped, Perkins will need help. Back-up small forward has no clear answer yet. Point guard is fine, unless Cassell doesn’t sign.

 

Conclusions

Doc Rivers often said that they were never trying to have the best record during the season. It was a good thing they didn't listen to him. They now have perspective on how to pace themselves.

Speaking of pace, it wouldn’t hurt to pick it up a bit more. Rondo and the young legs would love it. It puts additional pressure on the other team’s defense. Running more plays for Ray Allen might help.

It’s not likely that they will win as many games this season. But getting home court throughout the playoffs would still be a nice goal. After 67 wins, who would question their age this season?

The Celtics' three stars are still a nightmare to defend. Tom Thibodeau is still a Celtic coach, and the team will play energetic, smothering defense.

Their road to a repeat title will get more difficult, with a number of teams getting stronger in the Eastern Conference.

But the Celtics' destiny is still in their own hands. Defense still wins championships.

When the Celtics play at their very best, what team is better than they are?

This article is a Bleacherreport exclusive. Tom Halzack writes the CelticsCentral blog on the Connecticut Post website.