The Boston Celtics Head Into The All Star Break As The Best Team In The NBA

When the Celts started 15-4 I was told the sample was too small, that things didn't really matter until after Thanksgiving. That it was really about where you were at around Christmas. At 24-10 after dismantling the Bucks on national television for the world to see on Christmas, I was told the season actually didn't start until after the All Star Break.

Well, folks, here we are. The Celts are officially at the NBA's All Star Break and what do you know? The Boston Celtics are still the 1 seed in the East, and still own the NBA's best record at 42-17.

How is this 58 game sample size? Does that provide enough evidence that the same things many of us were saying on Thanksgiving are still true 2+ months later? Not only are the Celts heading into the break in the top seed and with the best overall record in the league, they also own the 3rd best offense, 4th best defense, and are 1st in net rating.

They are the only team in the league to be both top 5 in offense and defense.

Oh yeah, they also just basically gave Joe a lifetime contract after making him the full time head coach

You have to remember what shit was like heading into this season. The pain of losing the NBA Finals, having to suspend/fire your head coach in mid September right before training camp opened, hiring a guy who was on the second row behind the bench who had never been a head coach before and was younger than some of the players on his own roster, there was every possibility that things would be a disaster.

Instead, the Celts are the best team in the NBA.

This time last year, we saw the Celts go on vacation early and lose a very bad game to the Pistons in their last game before the break. They lost their mental focus and it was another one of many frustrating losses to bad teams that plagued the Celts in the first half of the season. 

This year, against the same team in the same situation, another B2B, last game before the break, the Celts did not fall victim to the trap. They got their players back and swiftly took care of business. Think of how much better you feel heading into the break this year compared to last year. It's not even fucking close. 

That's Love and Trust.

Beating the Pistons last night is whatever. This isn't about them. This is about the Celts learning from their mistakes of last year and continuing to ride that momentum into the break. Get rest, get healthy, and then the fun really starts once we're back on the 23rd. How I'm going to survive these next 7 days is anyone's guess, but that's a me problem.

For now, let's talk about win 42.

The Good

- This might sound crazy to say, so I apologize if this take is too hot and maybe burns your eyeballs by reading it, but I can't go another minute without speaking my truth.

I think Jayson Tatum is very good at basketball

A rested Jayson Tatum looks pretty good eh? Well wait, I guess that depends on your definition of good. For me, 38/9/7 on 15-24 (6-10) shooting in 34 minutes is pretty damn good. You could have a different opinion, it would just be wrong.

It was pretty clear early on that the Piston had no resistance when it came to stopping Tatum from inside the arc, he started something like 7-7 on 2pt FGA. Then, the Pistons made the terrible mistake of allowing Tatum to see one of his 3PA go in, and well once that happens you're usually pretty fucked. 

Tatum finished with 24 points in the 3rd quarter, going 9-11 from the floor and 6-6 from 3P. When he goes on a heater like this, nobody else should really be taking a FGA, and that's basically what the 3rd quarter was. Tatum played all 12 minutes and took nearly half the total FGA (25). I know there are some who obsess over Tatum's 3P%, but you have to understand the percentages never matter. It's a feel thing. Tatum was 0-4 before his 6-6 explosion, and all it takes is seeing and feeling one drop and then you're off to the races. It doesn't matter if you contest his jumper, if it's a spot up or side step 3PA, when Tatum is locked in from deep these are basically layups.

The beauty of his performance though wasn't just the scoring or the shooting. It was the fact that he did everything. Tatum led the Celts in points, rebounds, and assists. He did all this while only taking 2 FTA all night. I'd like to see some other MVP candidates score 38 points in 34 minutes with 2 FTA. None of that foul merchant bullshit in this game that's for sure.

- The wait from 1/23 to last night was one of the longest struggles of my life. This team just didn't feel like themselves at times. Offensively, defensively, energy wise, something was missing. 

Last night that certain thing returned, and in a big big way

It had been 12 years since we've seen a Celtics point guard do what Marcus Smart did in his return last night. He finished with 9/7/6/6 on 4-6 (1-3) shooting in his 29 minutes with only 2 TOs. Suddenly, things looked back to normal. The ball was moving, the team was playing with great energy, Smart was repeatedly making something out of nothing defensively, his shot selection was still perfect, and it felt like the team got their identity back.

Watching this game, it's more than just the production that stands out when it comes to Smart and his importance. So much of his role on this team as the floor general is his feel for the game. He knows when to get guys the ball at the right moment, where they like to get it, etc. As a team they were crisp, organized and selfless. Smart sets that tone. Did the ball ever feel like it was sticking in this game to you? I don't think so.

Whether it was the Smart/Tatum P&R, how he was able to find cutters, or exploiting mismatches in the post, the Smart impact in this win was undeniable. I mean, the Celts had a 128 Ortg in this win. Part of that is the Pistons stink, but also part of that is their starting point guard was back in the lineup and ran things like he has all year.

The good news is he said after the game his ankle felt good, and now he gets another week to rest up. I wasn't sure what to expect in his return, but I'm happy to say things went even better than I hoped.

- After a weird and kind of shitty performance against the Bucks, the response from Malcolm Brogdon on a B2B was pretty damn impressive. Just like Tatum, it was very clear from early on in this game that the Pistons had no match defensively for Brogdon. He's too quick, too strong, too smart of an offensive player

I'm not sure how many teams are throwing out a bench guard who is going to go for 25/3/6 on 10-14 (5-8) shooting and barely break a sweat, in fact, we haven't seen a Celtic do this off the bench in consecutive games since Celtics Legend Isaiah Thomas

I think it goes without saying that the Malcolm Brogdon Experience has been a smashing success through 58 games, and how he's accepted his role to perfection has been a huge reason why. With guys back and the players being allowed to slide back into their normal roles, you can see what an advantage this is when it comes to Brogdon's minutes/production. The outside shooting has proven to be sustainable, he's so goddam quick and strong with the ball that as long as he remembers how to make his layups, the Celts are going to be in a great spot.

- Quick check in on Mazzulla Ball if that's alright with you

127 points in regulation

21 3PM 4

5 3PA

30 AST

11 TOs

Yup, just like I thought. It still rules.

- Did you know the Celts are now 8-1 on B2Bs this season? That is simply outrageous. An .888 winning percentage on back to backs when almost all of them were without a key starter is pretty insane. How this team is so good with no rest and then so very bad when they get 2+ days of rest makes no sense to my brain but whatever. 

- The Celts are also 11-1 when they hit 30 assists so yeah, ball movement is the key to life in case you weren't totally sure.

- Nothing like a wire to wire win. There were 0 lead changes in this game, the Celts largest lead was 21. We saw this team own the glass, take care of the ball, move the ball, and make all their 3PA.

When you play the Celts you basically have to pray for a few things. You have to pray they miss their 3PA and that they turn it over a shit ton. When the opposite of that happens, you have no shot. When this team isn't shooting itself in their own foot, they seem to be pretty damn tough to beat. Imagine that.

- I want to be very clear about something. Blake Griffin will die for this team, and I will die for him. That's how this works

Does Blake need to be diving of the floor like this? Of course not. He's Blake Griffin. But he does this shit EVERY game he plays in and if you don't think that stuff matters, you're living under a rock. Blake has fully embraced his role and his willingness to put his life on the line to help them win is part of what makes the Celts so good.

Add in he's shooting over 40% on the season from deep despite never knowing when he's actually going to play, and it's impossible to not love what Blake has done in this first half. 

- If anyone on this team deserves the rest of the All Star break, it's Derrick White. Not just because of his play while Smart was out, but the dude ruptured his eardrum and didn't miss a single minute of action. He only shot 3-11 in this game, but was a +12 in his 26 minutes.

Add in 6 assists, 0 TOs, and a couple of steals and the three headed guard monster of White/Smart/Brogdon showed why it's the best guard trio in the league.

- I can admit that while I loved seeing Grant catch & shoot without hesitation (3-6 from deep), part of me wished he did this shit on Tuesday night. He can do it, we've seen it, and it feels like he learned his lesson. Only one or two pump fakes in this game, Grant was much better in his 20 minutes. A solid 9/4/2 and a +8 on 50/50% is all I need from him. Just be confident and don't overthink things and you'll be golden. 

The Bad

- I'm aware that all the guards were back in the lineup, but on a B2B in the last game before the break, I found it surprising that Payton Pritchard was once again a DNP-CD. Especially once things got out of hand in the 4th quarter, why not let him get some run? Fortunately nothing bad happened injury-wise, I just don't really get it. We saw JD in this game! 

I get he wasn't great against MIL, but who cares? When every other player on the roster touches the court and Payton doesn't, I find that a little weird. Is he in Joe's doghouse or something? Was he maybe nursing an injury we don't know about? Very odd.

- It's quite possible he does this to everyone he plays, but why does it feel like Bojan Bogdanovic never misses when he plays the Celts? Another 12-17 last night, he's one guy where my brain immediately thinks every shot he takes is going in as soon as he lets it go. It doesn't matter if it's contested or not, the dude is a professional bucket getter. I can see why the Pistons want to keep that around, but man is it stressful to go up against. Sure he can't really defend, but if you need efficient buckets, Bogdanovic is your guy.

- Sadly, I have to put Al's acting skills in this section. There is NO chance he's talking to anyone on that phone. Classic fake phone call maneuver.

- This may be on me, but I had forgotten how much I hate Tony Brothers. What an asshole that dude is. Look, all I want is consistency. If you want to be bad, be bad for both sides. What I can't have is one thing being a foul for one team and then that same play not being a foul for the other.

The Brogdon bump, the Blake charge, there were way too many plays that were called fouls on the Celts and then when the exact same play happened on the other end, it was nothing. That's fucked. Either call it on both ends or don't. He clearly made things personal with Blake in this game and that's everything wrong with Tony Brothers.

The Ugly

- Whatever the defensive gameplan was for the 3rd quarter, please throw it in the trash. There should be no situation in which Tatum explodes for 24 points in a quarter……and the Celts lose it 38-31.

The Pistons came out and shot 66/50% in the quarter and we watched the Celts 19 point lead get down to around 5-7 points in a blink of an eye. I found that to be extremely annoying. The good news is the Celts immediately responded in the fourth, but once again we're seeing that trend of slow 3rd quarters coming out of the break. Only 3 Celtics made a FGM in that 3rd quarter, and you compound that with allowing 38, and it was just a gross 12 minutes of basketball. 

- Honestly that was really it. It's hard to complain about a 20+ point win as you head into the break. 

So now we wait. It's going to be a long week until the Celts are back in our lives again, but take this time and recharge. The stretch run and then the playoffs are setting up to take multiple years off our collective lives. Just know that while other fanbases and talking heads try and convince you that Team X is actually the best team in the NBA, that is incorrect.

That team plays in Boston, and it doesn't look like that's changing any time soon.

Love and Trust.