There are a lot of things that need to go right to win the title.
Avoiding injuries, shot luck variance, and a favorable playoff bracket are all major factors into winning a championship.
You also need your best players to play well and the Celtics had that a year ago. Specifically, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday were huge throughout.
We all remember the huge defensive plays they made to seal games during Boston’s title run a season ago.
In the biggest moments, when the Celtics needed someone to step up, it was Holiday and White who constantly got the job done.
White and Holiday were fantastic on the offensive end as well. Holiday averaged 13.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists on 62% true shooting and 40% from three, while White averaged 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists on 62% true shooting and 40% from three.
They were fantastic and their play was one of the biggest reasons the Celtics were as good as they were on their way to capturing Banner 18.
This year has been different. Since Kristaps Porzingis’ return on November 25th, neither guy has been shooting the three-pointer as well, with Holiday at 33% on 5.2 attempts per game and White at 34% on 8.6 attempts per game.
The corner three is what has hurt Holiday the most. After shooting 60% on corner threes in the regular season last year, Holiday is at 29% from the corners this season. Above the break threes is where White did his damage a season ago shooting 40%; on above the break threes this season, White is at 35.5%. And since November 25th, on above the break threes, White is at 32.5% and Holiday is at 25% on corner threes.
For what it’s worth, I have actually been really excited with the way KP has been playing over his last nine games, scoring 19.7 points, grabbing 8.0 rebounds and blocking 1.3 shots per game on 49% from the field and 46% from three-point range.
White and Holiday were fantastic all of last season, so them hitting a prolonged slump at the same time is playing a big reason to why the Celtics have struggled over the last two months. They are still getting and taking a lot of the same looks, but they just have not gone in the way they did a season ago.
These are guys who have showed us that they are elite shooters and playing with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown generates a lot of open threes. Statistically, water is likely to find its level eventually.
Both guys defensive numbers are in similar spots to where they were a season ag,o so there isn’t a way to quantify if their defense has been worse than last season. It hasn’t been worse in my opinion anyways. White’s block percentage is in the same spot as it was a year ago at 1.8% and Jrue Holiday is also 34 years old, so his defense is not going to be there every night.
But if the Celtics are going to go back-to-back, they are going to need their guards to hit shots. It does not guarantee anything, but it will make them a much bigger threat. I have all the confidence in the world that they will.
