The new-look Celtics have hit the ground running, advancing to 2–0 on the young season with their 119-111 win over the Miami Heat in their home opener Friday night.
As expected early in the season, the execution hasn’t been perfect. After an offseason of seismic changes that brought Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday into the fold, the Celtics are still working to find cohesion as a new unit.
We’ve seen flashes of just how good this team can be when they’re clicking, and the consistency in that department will come with time.
It’s hard to put stock into just two games, but one thing is for certain: the talent of the top six has been as advertised.
Boston’s starters combined for 111 (!) points on Friday night, matching Miami’s total as a team.
Boston’s top six of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Holiday, Porzingis, Derrick White, and Al Horford have been making plays on both ends of the floor as they look like a team that could very well finish atop of the league in both defense and offense this season – and as mentioned earlier, they are still figuring things out together.
The Celtics bought into the identity Joe Mazzulla was looking for early in camp, and they have translated it to the regular season play so far. Mazzulla wants his team to be built on humility, mindset, toughness, passion, togetherness, and nastiness. The Celtics have embodied those traits so far.
In the wake of the departures of Marcus Smart and Grant Williams this offseason, there were some questions about how Boston would find the grit and hustle that those two provided. So far, the whole team has stepped up in that area.
We have seen how special this team can be through these first two games. Here is what has stood out so far.
Offensive rebounding
Mazzulla has discussed the “conscious effort” the team is taking in trying to improve on the offensive glass, and we are seeing it pay off early on.
The C’s were all over the glass, snagging 16 offensive rebounds, resulting in 23 second-chance points Friday night. Keeping possessions alive and creating second-chance opportunities is critical, and it was clearly an emphasis on Friday night, as four different Celtics finished with at least three offensive rebounds.
Putting in the dirty work on the glass fits exactly into the culture Mazzulla is trying to establish.
However, on the flip side, the C’s have struggled to keep their opponents off the offensive glass. After the Knicks grabbed 17 on opening night (Resulting in 20 second-chance points), Miami snagged 11 offensive rebounds of their own, resulting in 16 second-chance points, something the Celtics will need to clean up moving forward.
Bench struggling to find offensive production
Boston’s bench unit has really struggled to find offensive production early on. After scoring 12 points on Wednesday night in New York, Boston’s bench scored just eight on Friday night. None of their eight points came in the second half.
Horford, who came off the bench again on Friday night, was held scoreless in his 24:38 minutes of action. The 37-year-old finished the night 0-for-6, marking just the third time in his 16-year career he failed to record a point. Horford did finish with 10 rebounds and two assists.
Though he might not be your typical scorer, Horford may need to shoulder the load offensively for the bench until guys like Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser can get going.
The top six are talented enough to carry this team, but they are going to need some help from the second unit eventually, especially when we get into guys getting nights off.
Getting it done in the clutch
Closing out games has been a chronic issue for this Celtics team in years past, but so far this year, the C’s have played some of their best basketball when it really matters down the stretch.
The Celtics have successfully closed two games this season against two teams they failed to do so against a season ago.
On Wednesday night, it was Porzingis that fueled Boston’s 15-5 run to close out New York, as he finished with nine of the 15 points over that stretch.
Friday night, it was White and Brown, as the two combined for 26 fourth-quarter points on 9-of-14 (64.2%) shooting, single-handedly outscoring Miami, who finished the final frame with just 23 points.
Boston’s defense also suffocated Miami, holding the visitors to just 21% shooting in the fourth quarter.
This is exactly what makes the new-look Celtics so difficult to defend, especially in crunch time – they can hurt you in so many different ways.
The Celtics have been able to overcome their mistakes and finish strong down the stretch, which is the most encouraging takeaway through the first two games, given their prior history.
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