Eddie Home identifies ‘tiny pink flag’ for Celtics early in season initially appeared on NBC Sports activities Boston
While you’re the reigning NBA champion, you maintain your self to the next customary. So, whereas the Boston Celtics personal the second-best document within the Japanese Convention at 9-3, there’s nonetheless room for enchancment.
That a lot was evident Tuesday evening, when the Atlanta Hawks handed the Celtics a surprising 117-116 loss at TD Backyard of their first recreation of NBA Cup group play.
How did a Hawks staff lacking three of its starters (together with Trae Younger) upset Boston as a 16.5-point underdog? For one, the Celtics dedicated a whopping 20 turnovers that led to 19 Atlanta factors. However the C’s additionally bought dominated on the glass and within the paint; the Hawks racked up 20 offensive rebounds to Boston’s six and scored 68 factors within the paint to Boston’s 32.
The deciding rating for Atlanta was — you guessed it — an offensive rebound and a second-chance bucket from Onyeka Okongwu, who elevated over Jrue Vacation and Jaylen Brown for a put-back tip-in.
Tuesday evening wasn’t the primary time Boston has been overwhelmed within the paint this season. The truth is, The Celtics are permitting 52.2 factors within the paint per recreation (twenty fourth within the NBA), whereas scoring simply 39.8 factors within the paint per recreation (thirtieth within the NBA) for a differential of negative-12.4.
And when you ask former Celtics guard Eddie Home, that is trigger for no less than some concern.
“Proper now we’re giving up 52 factors within the paint per recreation. That’s bottom-third within the league,” Home mentioned after Tuesday’s recreation on Celtics Postgame Stay. “After which we’re solely (scoring) 39 factors (within the paint).
“I do know we shoot quite a bit 3s, so I perceive that. However we’re final (in factors within the paint). So, we’ve to seek out some form of stability. It is OK typically to get to the rim to get a simple bucket, to get a deuce. We do not at all times must shoot a 3.
“This is not overreacting. I am not gonna push a panic button on this. However these are little tiny pink flags, and whereas they’re small, you need to stomp them out so they do not grow to be large pink flags that would have an effect on you in a while within the season — or one thing that any person may have a look at and say, ‘That is how one can assault this staff. That is how one can beat this staff.'”
The Celtics take (and make) essentially the most 3-pointers within the NBA by a big margin, so it is smart why they rank final in paint factors per recreation. However their inside protection and rebounding seem like areas of weak point by means of 12 video games this season, as highlighted by the stats under:
Celtics offensive rebounds per recreation: 9.9 (nineteenth within the NBA)
Opponent offensive rebounds/recreation: 10.6 (T-Thirteenth)
Factors within the paint/recreation: 39.8 (thirtieth)
Opponent factors within the paint/recreation: 52.2 (twenty fourth)
Second probability factors: 13.8 (nineteenth)
So, what is the answer? Clearly the return of huge man Kristaps Porzingis will assist, however the Celtics want extra from their large man rotation of Al Horford, Neemias Queta and Luke Kornet, who’ve had their moments however general have lacked consistency.
Jaylen Brown, in the meantime, believes it is a matter of effort as a substitute of personnel.
“We change, so we’ve bought to battle,” Brown instructed reporters after the sport. “We’re a staff that likes to have the ability to change, however you’ve bought to rebound, and also you’ve bought to have the ability to battle.”
The Celtics’ inside protection can be examined once more Wednesday evening towards a Brooklyn staff that racked up 54 paint factors towards Boston whereas taking the C’s to additional time final Friday evening.
