March 25th, 2022- The Boston Celtics hold the best defensive rating in basketball at 106.5. The starting lineup feature two Defensive Player of the Year candidates Marcus Smart and Robert Williams. They may even add another to All-NBA Defense with Jayson Tatum‘s arrival on the defensive end of the floor. A group of gritty guys who suffocate the perimeter on defense and clog driving lanes in the paint. The Celtics’ defense has all the tools to continue the defensive success in the postseason. Let’s get into some of them.
Switching
The Celtics have wings like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Grant Williams who are confident in switching with anyone. The Celtics’ defense thrives off anyone being able to switch. Even Al Horford and Williams can switch onto people and be okay due to the length to get blocks from behind and suffocating around the rim. Payton Pritchard showed some defensive prowess in the Celtics’ win on Wednesday against the Utah Jazz
Can’t get enough of Payton Pritchard defensive highlights ?
— Celtics Direct (@CelticsDirect) March 25, 2022
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Not much needs to be said about Marcus Smart. The heart and soul of the Boston Celtics for years now is the defensive anchor of the squad. His ability to switch onto anyone while being a guard is unheard of in today’s league. Smart leads the communication behind these switches whether it be half-court defense or transition, no one does it like him.
In a playoff series, it is easy to plan to attack a certain player all series and tear down an elite defense. There is no running from these guys. Those flashy guards can switch all they want because it doesn’t get any easier wherever they run.
Hustle
Hustle is something every team aspires to have. Good transition defense, loose ball diving, and offensive rebounding are very important to have for teams aspiring to be champions. Luckily for Boston, they got a couple of guys for all of that. Robert Williams is fourth in the NBA in offensive rebounds a game at 3.9. Transition defense is a stranger to no one on this Celtics team as they are all about getting back.
Going after loose balls is the most Marcus Smart tendency known to man. Smart is part of the reason why the rest of the team wants to get after it. In the past couple of games, Tatum has been getting on the ground to make plays. Reminder, Tatum has been on an offensive surge this year averaging a career-high in points and assists. To have the passion to get gritty on defense as well can only be motivation for other guys to get after it.
Other superstars lay off on defense because of their offensive output, but that is why Tatum is different and can be the face of the league one day. There are two ends of the court and he is elite on both of them.
Built for This
A team with no weak point on defense, love to hustle, and communicates well on switches is a team built for the playoffs. In a series against the Celtics, game planning against their defense is no easy task. Whichever team matches Boston round one better be ready to lace up for a long and bruising night of defense.
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