Defense has become the Celtics’ “kryptonite”

With 84 points scored and only 39% on shots, the Celtics signed their worst offensive performance of the year at the worst time. However, at the end of this Game 7 lost against the Heat, some of the men of Joe Mazzulla prefer to highlight failures on the other side of the field.

To start with Malcolm Brogdon. ” I believe that last year, this team was proud of its defense. It was our calling card” he explains, although he only joined this group this season. “This year, it was the attack. I don’t think you can win titles with an offense that is better than defense “Judges the former leader of the Pacers, assuring that Boston had the” better league attack.

The second in reality, in terms of offensive efficiency (117.3 points per game on 100 possessions), in the regular season. ” We can talk about our means of scoring, our density, our versatility in attack, really from the first to the seventh, even eighth man. Defensively, we have the versatility, we have the talent. But every night, we released the pressure and we had a lot of failures in this area “, regrets the substitute who, injured, did not weigh in this Game 7 (no point in seven minutes).

Former best defender of the year, Marcus Smart agrees: We must continue to put defense first. We were so bad in attack last year that it was our main objective this year. Unfortunately, our defense suffered. »

Make up for a bad night at the shootout

His observation is confirmed in the figures. In their previous playoff campaign, the Celtics limited their opponents to 106 points on average – out of 100 possessions – the second defense of the teams in contention. This year ? 113 points conceded on average, only 10th place out of the 16 teams involved in the playoffs…

During these playoffs, the Celtics also posted a perfect record of nine wins without defeat when they limited the opposing team to 106 points or less. Until tonight… since the Heat won with 103 points.

” We’re at our best when – I think it’s been the last three games, apart from tonight – we really focus on the defensive side. We showed how special and good we can be collectively. We didn’t shoot particularly well but that’s part of the game. The attack fluctuates from one evening to the next. But the defense can always, or most of the time, hold up. Even when you miss shots, you always have to focus on defense “recalls Jayson Tatum.

” Don’t worry about shots. Whether it fits or not, defense is key “, completes Marcus Smart according to whom the defense is even the” kryptonite of the team when it lacks skill. Malcolm Brodgon considers that the Celtics could have stayed in this game by making these stops. Because Miami” is not a team that is going to score 120 points, go into transitions and beat you that way. She will slow down the game and play in the half of the field. […] The thing is, we didn’t make the stops. In the end, that’s what killed us. »