Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
Smart missed 10 of the 11 shots he took during Monday’s game in Houston but still emerged plus-30 in plus/minus because of the way he helped Boston defend. Don’t get it twisted: Smart infuriated Westbrook during Sunday’s win in Oklahoma City, then helped Boston bottle up MVP-caliber Harden just 24 hours later (though Houston’s overall disarray didn’t hurt Boston’s cause).
The Smart and Crowder combo currently pairs on Boston’s first unit with the team’s best defensive frontcourt of Amir Johnson (who added much-needed rim protection) and Jared Sullinger (who has been a rebounding machine during an impressive start to the season). That quartet has been able to mask any difficulties expected with Isaiah Thomas on the floor. Thomas is at a disadvantage with his size (5-foot-9) but is still a competitive defender, and the NBA’s player tracking data suggests he is holding his assignments to 9.9 percent below their season field-goal percentage (opponents are shooting just 32.2 percent against him overall).
ESPN Boston – How the Boston Celtics became a top-10 defense
“We’re a very aggressive team and we’re not backing down from anybody,” said Smart. “There’s going to be some chippiness and some altercations.”
The Celtics won’t be making many friends with that style of play, but that’s all part of Boston’s plan on that end of the floor. As they keep pushing and pushing, they hope it leads to more and more flustering stretches for their opposition.
“That’s what we’re trying to do,” Marcus Smart said of Boston’s defensive style. “Once we get on a roll like that in the defensive end, we lock down. We want teams to feel defeated. We want to keep our foot on the gas pedal and keep going.”
CBS Boston – Celtics’ Suffocating Defense Making Life Difficult For Opposition
“We had a guy down and their guy (Jones) kind of straddled (Johnson) and wouldn’t let our guy up,” Crowder told reporters, via CSNNE.com. “We saw it as a sign of disrespect. We just came to his rescue, and we weren’t having it. That’s what sparked it.”
“I just went to go protect my teammate,” Thomas added. “It was very disrespectful to stand over somebody.”
Boston.com – Jae Crowder says Rockets ‘sign of disrespect’ propelled Celtics to win
“This group is relentless,” said Boston’s Isaiah Thomas. “Guys don’t care how anybody feels. We’re gonna be right there at all times in your face.” {…}
“We play hard,” said Boston’s Jae Crowder. “Guys don’t like that in this league. Guys want an easy flowing game. But we play hard and a lot of guys don’t like it. I can say that.”
CSNNE – Celtics getting under opponents’ skin with tough defense
Red Auerbach was a hard-nosed son of a bitch from Brooklyn (my hometown, BTW, if I may brag about it) who coached in the era before replay reviews and flagrant fouls. Red famously built his teams to include instigators, rather than retaliators. That approach helped hang more championship banners in the Garden than in any other NBA arena.
With that in mind, the just-concluded two-game road trip to Oklahoma City and Houston should have every Celtics fan fired up for the next 72 games plus playoffs. Smart, Crowder and the Green Team are crushing it with their forceful defense. Who didn’t enjoy watching the second-half beatdowns in both the those games?
On Sunday, Smart stood up to noted tough guy Russell Westbrook and made him cry. Westbrook was -7 for the game, Smart +7. On Monday, it was more of the same in Houston (James Harden -27, Smart +30). The aggressive Celtics didn’t just take those two games, they destroyed and demoralized the opposition to win going away. How many times have we said that in the past two years?
Need more evidence? Avery Bradley, currently coming off the bench instead of starting, was +19 vs. OKC and +18 vs. Houston. We would take those numbers every night.
It was especially satisfying to demolish the Rockets after the passive-aggressive move by Terrence Jones, stepping over Amir Johnson. The opposition simply cannot be allowed to diss your teammate like that, and other teams are finding out very quickly that this Celtics squad can’t be pushed around.
In the preseason, the Celtics talked about becoming a top defensive squad. Sure enough, they’re making it happen. After 10 games they’re allowing 95.9 points per game while scoring 102.5, a difference of +6.6, which is good for third in the league. By comparison, they finished last season just +0.2.
And…because Toronto lost last night at Golden State, the Celtics have moved into first place in the Atlantic Division by percentage points. (Sure, divisions don’t really matter anymore because of the new playoff system, but we’ll take this anyway.)
Tonight’s tip-off can’t come soon enough.
Related: Herald – Celtics turn up pressure points | CSNNE – Breaking down Celtics’ defense vs. Westbrook, Harden | Globe – Celtics’ tenacious defense is rattling opponents | ESPN – Props to the Celtics, or concern for the Rockets?
On Page 2: Enjoy
While we’re talking about the Celtics defense, enjoy these highlights from the Rockets game compiled by Tomasz Kordylewski, a Celtics fan in Poland (we’re everywhere!). Note the disappointment in the voices of the Rockets’ announcers. The Celts had 16 steals on the night (Boston leads the league with 11.8 per game) and forced 22 turnovers, resulting in 39 points.
What’s especially impressive is the Celtics not just stealing the ball, but often totally RIPPING it out of the hands of the offensive player. GIVE ME THAT! There’s nothing better than an aggressive team, and this group is killing it.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvIVyV_lqRI]And, finally: Classic ball movement
Like Scal said, ‘Vintage ’86 Celtics’ on this play: https://t.co/Evs220vcXb
— Jay O (@MrTrpleDouble10) November 17, 2015
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsRelated: MassLive – This Boston Celtics possession against the Houston Rockets was gorgeous
Ball movement like you dream about. As long as you ignore Amir Johnson’s 11- second violation in the paint, this is spectacular basketball.
The Rest of the Links:
NESN – Celtics-Mavericks Odds: Boston Hopes To Continue Recent Hot Streak | Dallas Morning News – Scouting Mavericks-Celtics: Former Mav Jae Crowder will be a nuisance on defense | Bleacher Report – 3 Goals the Boston Celtics Must Achieve During 2015-16 Season
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