Let’s preface this article by saying that the Chicago Bulls team the Celtics just beat is not the Chicago Bulls team that many expect to make a deep playoff run. Playing in their 4th game in 5 nights, the Bulls were without their star point guard Derrick Rose. Joakim Noah is clearly not himself yet, especially on the defensive end of the floor, after missing two games with an illness. The Bulls have yet to click as a unit defensively, a staple of a Tom Thibodeau coached team.
With that being said, the Celtics were impressive. Without their own star point guard, Rajon Rondo, the Celtics offense continued to look like a well-oiled machine, finishing the game with 106 points on 51.9% shooting. The team scored 17 fastbreak points (just above their average of 15.8 coming in) and tallied 25 assists (matching their average). The Celtics offense could have put up even better numbers if not for a 5 minute stretch in the 4th where they only scored 2 points, allowing the Bulls to cut the lead from 15 down to 3. Even so, the Celtics offense flourished both on the fastbreak and in the half court, an encouraging sign for Brad Stevens’ team moving forward.
Saturday night’s game provided the Celtics with a measuring stick, as they went up against arguably the best frontcourt in the Eastern conference. Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol, and Taj Gibson have proven themselves time and time again throughout their NBA careers, and Nikola Mirotic is a young big who the Bulls expect to have a significant impact throughout the year. The Celtics countered with the talented but still mostly unproven tandem of Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk, with veteran Brandon Bass and new Celtics acquisition Tyler Zeller coming off the bench. If the Celtics were able to match the Bulls loaded frontcourt in production with their own frontcourt, then this game would probably come down to the wire.
Instead of simply matching Chicago’s bigs, the Celtics frontcourt outperformed them, leading to a Celtics victory. The Celtics frontcourt (Sullinger, Olynyk, Bass, Zeller) combined for 45 points, 28 rebounds, and 9 assists while shooting 62% from the floor in 96 minutes of total action, while the Bulls post players tallied 40 points, 24 rebounds, and 10 assists while shooting just 46% from the floor in 95 minutes. The Celtics big men were able to score more points in a much more efficient manner than their Bulls counterparts, while maintaining a slight edge on the glass as well. This edge in production was no small factor in helping the Celtics beat the 5-1 Bulls.
The State of the Celtics Frontcourt
The future of the Celtics frontcourt looks bright. While Olynyk and Sullinger lack the traditional rim protection that teams like Chicago and Indiana get from Noah and Roy Hibbert, they bring other things to the table that many big man tandems do not. Very few, if any, NBA teams start two post players who have range out to the 3 point line. Olynyk has started the season 8/15 from behind the arc (53%) including 6/8 in his last 3 games, and while Sullinger has struggled early on, he proved in the preseason that he has developed that type of range and teams have had to respect him out there. Having post players that can step out and knock down a 3 on a consistent basis is a huge weapon for the Celtics offense. Drawing the opposing teams rim protector out of the paint opens up driving lanes and cuts for the rest of the Celtics offense, and the Celtics have done a nice job utilizing their bigs in this fashion.
Another attribute that sets Olynyk and Sullinger apart from most big men is their passing ability. The last two nights have shown that the Celtics are very comfortable with allowing either Olynyk or Sullinger to handle the ball and operate from the top of the key, and both have proven that they have a great feel for the game. Much of the Celtics offense is initiated through a ball reversal to either Olynyk or Sullinger, which is then followed by a dribble hand off or ball screen. Sullinger, who has 9 assists in the last 2 games, has made a number of nice passes to guards cutting to the basket off this action. The Celtics had 5 players with at least 4 assists last night, and lead the NBA with 25 assists per game early on in the season, showing that they have players all over the court capable of creating high quality shots for their teammates. Team assists is often an overlooked offensive stat, but it is a great gauge of the types of shots the Celtics are getting on offense. The more assists, the more easy baskets. Just ask the team that led the league in assists last season, the San Antonio Spurs.
Coming off the bench, Brandon Bass and Tyler Zeller have been very effective. Last night, Zeller finished with 10 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists on 4/5 shooting from the floor in just 21 minutes. His performance was huge off the bench and came against one of the NBA’s top frontcourts, an encouraging sign moving forward. Brad Stevens even elected to stay with Zeller in crunch time over Jared Sullinger. Remember, Zeller is a guy the Celtics got for virtually nothing (good work Danny Ainge) in a three-way trade this offseason that also brought in Marcus Thorton and a protected first round pick from the Cavaliers. To this point, Zeller looks like a tremendous fit. He runs the floor exceptionally well for a 7 footer, fitting right in with the pace the Celtics want to play, and already seems to have a rhythm with the Celtics guards, particularly Rajon Rondo.
The Celtics frontcourt is going to struggle at points this season defensively. Olynyk and Sullinger have neither the rim protection skills nor the athletic ability to defend the pick and roll at a high level. While their defense should improve over time, interior defense will not be a strength of this Celtics team the way the perimeter defense is expected to be. Can these weaknesses be nullified by Olynyk and Sullinger’s ability to put pressure on opposing defenses with their shooting and passing? The answer to this question will go a long way in determining just how good this Celtics team can be. Regardless, Celtics fans should be excited about what they have seen from Boston’s frontcourt to start the season.
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