1 – Kristaps Porzingis’ post-up dilemma
Before the game, JJ Redick mentioned he was happy to give up the contested two, even in the case of a mismatch. This meant the Lakers were willing to leave a guard one-on-one against Kristaps Porzingis in the post and live with the results.
As a result, the Celtics spammed post-ups with the Latvian big man to start the game. Porzingis scored 11 points from 8 attempts, even generating an assist for Derrick White. The overall efficiency was impressive. It seemed like the JJ Redick strategy wasn’t working.
However, this approach also created a very predictable offense. The Celtics repeatedly ran the same action, using an off-ball screen to create the mismatch. This static offense lacked momentum. By the end of the first quarter, the Celtics had scored only 23 points, making it seem like the JJ Redick strategy may have been more effective than it initially appeared.
2 – Lakers post-up on full display too
What worked for the Celtics also worked for the Lakers, particularly with strong ball handlers like Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
The Celtics opted for a different approach, sending two players to protect the mismatch. This led to open threes, and the Lakers capitalized, shooting an impressive 42% from beyond the arc.
The Celtics likely expected worse shooting efficiency from the Lakers, but once again, shooting variance worked against Boston.
3 – Jayson Tatum’s usage is curiously low
Jayson Tatum is an elite offensive engine, capable of creating for himself and others. Yet, last night, his usage rate was lower than Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis—and equal to Payton Pritchard. Why?
While it makes sense to prioritize Porzingis—who didn’t play against the Clippers—and utilize his post-up opportunities as mentioned in #1, why did Payton Pritchard and Jaylen Brown receive more offensive responsibility than Tatum?
This approach would have been justified if their efficiency was high. However, both Brown and Pritchard were inefficient scorers, dragging the overall offensive performance down.
Perhaps it was due to the matchup, or maybe Tatum was fatigued. Regardless, it’s puzzling to see a top-five player in the NBA not being utilized more effectively for creation, both for himself and others.
4 – Defensive breakdowns
The Lakers exploited the Celtics’ lack of energy and defensive discipline. JJ Redick, a smart offensive coach, used clever play-calling to generate cuts and easy shots at the rim through speed and ball movement.
The Lakers also benefited from the Celtics’ lack of defensive cohesion. In the action below, the Celtics were in a zone defense, which requires players to guard an area rather than a specific player. However, when Knecht cut toward the baseline, Jaylen Brown followed him, leaving Rui Hachimura open in his zone.
This sequence highlights a lack of defensive awareness, communication, and discipline.
5 – The Celtics couldn’t score at the rim
The Celtics recorded one of the worst rim performances of the season—across all teams. Normally, Boston is among the NBA’s most efficient teams at the rim, shooting 70% (4th in the league). However, last night, they converted just 10 of 26 attempts, a mere 39%.
Recently, the Celtics have struggled with rim efficiency.
This trend is worth monitoring, as the Celtics have been taking fewer threes compared to earlier in the season, opting for more rim attempts and mid-range shots. However, their efficiency in these zones is declining. Could this signal a potential spacing problem?
6 – Celtics couldn’t match the Lakers’ intensity
The Lakers’ offensive rebounding numbers and the Celtics’ lack of free throws reflected Boston’s struggle to handle physicality, as was evident in their game against the Clippers.
With the Celtics struggling to secure rebounds and create easy scoring opportunities, it’s puzzling why the coaching staff didn’t rely more on the double-big lineup. Offensive rebounding was a critical issue. The Celtics missed 56 shots but secured only 11 offensive rebounds.
7 – Celtics’ supporting cast takes the night off
Beyond their three offensive hubs—Tatum, Brown, and Porzingis—the rest of the Celtics’ rotation made only 7 of 32 shot attempts. The Celtics cannot win with such poor production from the supporting cast.
This West Coast road trip seems to have drained the Celtics’ energy. Everyone except Porzingis and Horford appeared fatigued last night. However, all teams play the same number of games, so fatigue can’t be used as an excuse.
January has been a challenging month for the Celtics. With three games left against Dallas, Houston, and Chicago, they have won 7 of their first 13 contests.
8 – Reaves finds his way through the Celtics’ defense
Austin Reaves, a frequent target of the Celtics’ offense, found ways to respond effectively. His ability to pull up from three punished the Celtics’ drop coverage with Porzingis:
The Lakers also used him as an off-ball threat, asking him to set screens and pop for three, similar to how the Celtics use Sam Hauser:
Reaves’ driving game forced defensive help, allowing him to tally 6 assists over the game.
Reaves represents the type of guard the Celtics struggle to contain. Like Donovan Mitchell or Tyrese Maxey, his ability to pull up from three and penetrate defenses exposed the Celtics’ vulnerabilities.
9 – Jaylen Brown and the bench’s last-ditch effort
Despite trailing by more than 20 points, the Celtics attempted a comeback with Jaylen Brown alongside Hauser, Queta, Pritchard, and Jaden Springer. After his heroics earlier in the season, Springer was back on the court.
This time, however, the challenge was too great, and the fourth quarter quickly devolved into garbage time, with Walsh and Scheierman also seeing minutes. Still, it was a valuable opportunity for the young players to face LeBron James and his son.
10 – Back-to-back poor offensive games with different symptoms
The Celtics have posted low offensive efficiency in back-to-back games against the Clippers and Lakers. However, the underlying issues differ.
Against the Clippers, the Celtics shot efficiently, recording a 57.4% eFG%, but turnovers dragged them down. Against the Lakers, the Celtics turned the ball over just 7 times but couldn’t maintain shooting efficiency.
With an all-time-low 39% at the rim and only 32% from three, the Celtics struggled to generate open looks. Their reliance on mid-range shots, Porzingis post-ups, and Jaylen Brown isolation plays led to another poor offensive night.
It’s notable how the Celtics’ offensive struggles vary. The coaching staff and management must consider potential solutions.
