Just three months after his criticism of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who ” born [voulaient] not pass the ball According to him, Marcus Smart probably appreciates the recent shift made collectively by the Celtics more than anyone.
” The plan of all our adversaries is that [Jayson Tatum et Jaylen Brown] pass the ball“, reminded the leader. ” So they have to be good at it and they do a phenomenal job at it.“
Victorious in five of its last six games (and more generally 12 of its last 18), the Massachusetts franchise is indeed on an upward slope, finding a positive balance (28 wins – 25 losses) and knocking on the door again of the Top 8 in the East.
Collective in progress and iron defense
Still impermeable defensively (103 points conceded on 100 possessions since January, the best “Defensive Rating” NBA over the period), the C’s have thus found their colors and resumed their march forward recently, by trusting each other more.
An impression which is above all visible offensively, because the ball circulates much better than before, because the decisive passes are linked and, above all, because the players take more pleasure in evolving together.
This was also the case during the success against the Hornets, this Wednesday evening, where 31 assists were achieved by the men of Ime Udoka (despite 18 ball losses recorded). They who had already achieved 24, 31, 32 and 26 in their four previous victories.
Inevitably, as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown let go of the ball more and faster, it is their teammates who take the opportunity to fuel the mark and heat up.
” My teammates did a good job moving the ball around and finding the open player, so the other players [comme moi] then only had to succeed in their shots “Explained, for example, Josh Richardson, author of 23 points against Charlotte (6/8 at 3-pts) and who finished as the team’s top scorer.
Marcus Smart regains his feelings
Another Celtics strongman last night: Marcus Smart (22 points and 6 assists, 7/11 on shots). Even mentioned in transfer rumors, the heart and soul of the squad has been shining for four games (nearly 15 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists on average, 61% on shots and 40% at 3-pts), ensuring in this “floor general” costume that he sometimes struggled to put on in the past. Especially since the leader finally feels physically comfortable.
” I had to deal with a calf injury and I’m coming back to 100% “, precisely confided the pit bull of the C’s. ” I am now able to be explosive and I become myself again. Because, most of the time, I couldn’t show explosiveness, jump or access the circle as I wanted.“
And, beyond his return to the fore, both physically and in the game, Marcus Smart is especially delighted to see that Boston has regained collective cohesion.
” We managed to correct a lot of things that were lacking at the beginning of the year. Conversely, the things that were beneficial to us are more frequent and it shows. Not just with the fans or the teams that face us, but we feel it ourselves, because everyone is progressing and gaining confidence.“
Robert Williams, a solid anchor
“Progress” and “confidence”, two terms that characterize Robert Williams rather well at the moment. Because the Celtics pivot never stops doing a monster job under the panels, chaining solid performances for the Massachusetts franchise in the shadows.
Still ubiquitous against the Hornets (10 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks), the “Time Lord” simply allowed himself to achieve a counter as decisive as improbable on PJ Washington, behind the line at 3 -pts and 30 seconds from the end, to allow his family to no longer be joined by Charlotte.
” It was amazing “Reacted Marcus Smart, about this action. “ I said to him: ‘You look like me, you will even become the best defender of the team at this rate, so continue, because I am proud of you’. He is phenomenal. It takes such athletic qualities to be able to defend positions 1 to 5… It’s huge and we need that from him. Nightly.“
And Josh Richardson to add, still on the subject of this counter that came out of nowhere: ” They are not many to be able to succeed this kind of action. I remember he had to pass through a screen, but he knew how to circumvent it to counter this shot all the same.“
Finally able to beat a team with which they will undoubtedly have to fight to the end to go to the playoffs, the Boston players will now have two “easy” trips to Detroit and then Orlando, to confirm their current good momentum.
Then, at the time of “trade deadline” and just before the All-Star Break, they will be tested further by the Nets, Nuggets, Hawks and then the Sixers. Four meetings which should allow us to know a little more about the real level of this group, used to doing roller coasters until now…
Defensive rating : an estimate of the number of points collected by a player, or a team, out of 100 possessions.
| Shots | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | bp | Int | CT | party | Points |
| Jayson Tatum | 48 | 36.5 | 43.1 | 33.0 | 84.2 | 1.2 | 7.3 | 8.5 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 26.0 |
| Jaylen Brown | 38 | 34.4 | 45.9 | 36.1 | 79.1 | 0.8 | 5.8 | 6.6 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 2.7 | 24.4 |
| Dennis Schroder | 45 | 30.1 | 43.6 | 34.8 | 84.4 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 2.4 | 14.6 |
| Marcus Smart | 43 | 33.5 | 40.3 | 31.2 | 77.8 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 5.5 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 2.5 | 11.4 |
| Al Horford | 43 | 28.6 | 43.4 | 29.7 | 83.6 | 1.5 | 5.7 | 7.3 | 3.4 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 10.2 |
| Robert Williams | 41 | 29.6 | 73.0 | 0.0 | 69.6 | 3.9 | 5.7 | 9.5 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 9.8 |
| Josh Richardson | 40 | 24.8 | 44.9 | 39.1 | 85.2 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 2.7 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 9.8 |
| Grant Williams | 47 | 22.9 | 47.9 | 42.5 | 88.9 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 3.3 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 7.1 |
| Payton Pritchard | 42 | 12.5 | 36.7 | 36.4 | 100.0 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 4.7 |
| Romeo Langford | 41 | 16.9 | 42.4 | 33.8 | 64.3 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 4.6 |
| Jabari Parker | 12 | 9.4 | 47.4 | 50.0 | 100.0 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 4.4 |
| Enes Kanter | 33 | 12.0 | 53.3 | 25.0 | 85.7 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 4.5 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 3.7 |
| Aaron Nesmith | 36 | 10.4 | 36.7 | 22.1 | 81.2 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 3.3 |
| Joe Johnson | 1 | 1.9 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| justin jackson | 1 | 1.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| Sam Hauser | 10 | 4.1 | 28.6 | 28.6 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.2 |
| Juancho Hernangomez | 18 | 5.3 | 18.5 | 16.7 | 66.7 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.1 |
| Bruno Fernando | 17 | 2.7 | 50.0 | 100.0 | 80.0 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.9 |
| Brodric Thomas | 7 | 3.9 | 11.1 | 0.0 | 100.0 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.6 |
| cj miles | 1 | 1.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
