The Celtics weathered former MVP Joel Embiid’s return to the 76ers in Game 4 of the NBA playoffs’ opening round and showered Philadelphia in 3’s, with Payton Pritchard leading the way. Joe Mazzulla’s team made the necessary adjustments after a gritty Game 3 win to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series, but there are still a few areas in which Boston can improve – especially with the road to the Eastern Conference Finals wide open.
Queta must avoid foul trouble
Neemias Queta jumped into the role as the Celtics’ starting big man with two feet and made a case to be in conversation for most improved player in the league during the regular season. Against Philadelphia, however, he’s picked up fouls early and often – with a pair of problematic ones that took him out of the last two games in the first quarter. He’s been able to contribute just 18.3 minutes on average through four games, a notable dip from the 25.3 minutes-average he played during the season.
The Celtics’ need Queta’s two-way game: he’s developed nice offensive chemistry with Jayson Tatum, in particular, and defensively, he averages 1.3 blocks per game. Nikola Vucevic adds a lot on the offensive side of the floor but can’t match Queta’s size and physicality, and Luka Garza remains a depth piece.
Further limit turnovers
Boston averaged a league-lowest 12.4 turnovers per game during the regular season, and it was, in part, the 13 committed turnovers that doomed them in Game 2. Philadelphia scored 15 points off those turnovers, and that was just about the difference in the 111-97 game. Game 3 was even less characteristic – Boston gave up 21 points off 17 turnovers but managed to survive thanks to gritty play from Jaylen Brown in the second half and late-game heroics from Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard.
The Celtics did a nice job dissecting the zone defense Philadelphia threw at them in Game 4, but finished the game with a still-higher-than-average 13 turnovers. They had an 11-2 regular season record in games with turnovers in the single digits. That number may be less attainable given the physical nature of the playoffs, but it’s still something to strive for.
Make the most of getting to the free throw line often
The Celtics have done an excellent job getting to the free throw line through the first four games of the playoffs – the trouble is what they do – or don’t do – when they’re there. Boston averaged just under 19 free throw attempts during the season. They’re up to a 21 per game average in the playoffs, but their shooting percentage is down from 80% to 78%. That margin of error may look like nitpicking, but they won’t be able to afford to leave free points on the floor when games get tight, should they go on a deep playoff run.
