- No Championship hangover
The Celtics had a busy offseason, with players flying all over the globe for various reasons. The team made it back early for training camp, and had a productive preseason, but they had every reason to start off slow in their first real game.
The energy of the ring/banner raising ceremony was incredible, and it’s difficult to predict how those emotions will impact each player’s performance. A new-look Knicks team sees this as a clear opportunity to come out and make a statement as well.
None of these factors mattered for Boston.
If anything, these circumstances and the thought that the Knicks wanted this to be a statement game seemed to have fueled the Celtics. They jumped on New York right away, looking as connected as ever on both ends.
Boston took a massive 43-24 lead at the end of the 1st quarter, and never even hinted at the possibility of letting the lead slip away. They were incredibly unselfish while also executing with great precision, highlighted by 33 assists to 3 turnovers.
The Knicks actually outshot the Celtics from the field, shooting 55.1% compared to Boston’s 50.5%, but the Celtics excellent ball control allowed them to attempt 17 more shots, many of which were generated behind the 3PT line.
2. Elite matchup versatility
One of the biggest reasons for the hot start is the Celtics ability to get creative with their matchups defensively. They were able to use their opponents’ deficiencies against them, starting with Holiday guarding KAT.
On paper, this is a size mismatch that NYK should be able to consistently exploit. Fortunately, basketball isn’t played on paper. Towns got to his spot a few times, as he should, but Boston is banking on the fact that he won’t be aggressive or effective enough to punish this switch.
The other benefit of this matchup is that it allows Horford to defend Josh Hart. With Hart’s reluctance as a shooter, Horford can give him a large cushion to fill the gaps and help his teammates when needed.
Al struggled a bit dealing with Brunson’s quick and crafty style as a driver. Letting him guard Hart makes it a bit more difficult to bring Horford into the action. On the same note, Holiday on Towns limits the impact of what should be a potent PnR game with Brunson.
3. Substitutions patterns
Boston doesn’t have a shiny new addition to the rotation, but that didn’t stop Mazzulla from making a slight tweak to his rotation.
In the absence of Porzingis, the rotation could look a bit different depending on the night or the team they’re facing. Tonight, the first subs were Kornet and Pritchard in place of Brown and Holiday. This meant an early look at a Kornet-Horford double big lineup which played just 245 minutes together in the regular season last year. That combination didn’t see too much time together in this one, but it ended up flowing nicely into Hauser checking in for Horford.
Tatum and the bench is always really difficult for opposing benches to deal with, and this lineup in particular finished last season with a 33.7 Net Rating.
Tillman and Horford was another big man pairing that we saw called upon more frequently in this game. Their games compliment each other well with both being versatile and smart defenders. Tillman’s ability to space the floor is a work in progress, but with Horford being so comfortable behind the arc they can alternate who plays inside and out.
There will be plenty of opportunities as the season goes on, but it’s worth noting that nobody outside of the usual rotation got any run in this one. Jordan Walsh was the first of the non-regulars to touch the floor and that was with about six minutes left in the 4th quarter with the game completely out of reach. Rest and injuries will open up minutes at some point, but for now, Mazzulla is fine sticking with his main rotation.
4. Jayson Tatum revenge tour
Tatum was flat out special in this game. He finished with 37 points and 10 assists. This wasn’t your typical Tatum takeover game though, he didn’t even record 20 FGA. Instead, he shot a blistering 8/11 from three to lead the way for Boston’s historic shooting night.
His very first jumper told you what type of night it would be.
Tatum’s outside shot has been a major topic of discussion this offseason especially with the jump shot tweaks that he and trainer Drew Hanlen have spoken about. I’d like to avoid overreacting to a one game sample, but he made it very hard tonight. The jumper looks sensational.
He was raining 3’s from everywhere, and it wasn’t just catch and shoot looks, there were a ton of pull-ups mixed in as well.
Jayson’s off the dribble shooting hasn’t been as dialed in the past few years, but it’s something that could truly vault him into the MVP discussion. He has the ability to practically win the game in the blink of an eye when he’s at this level.
Tatum built up the threat of his jumper early in the pick & roll, and that opened everything up for him to have a spectacular game as a playmaker too.
He quickly started to draw a lot of attention coming off of the screen, and he’s so comfortable these days giving up the ball early to find his open teammates.
There are few wings that create and capitalize on advantages as well as he does. His understanding of how his own gravity impacts the players around him has helped elevate his game to incredible heights.
5. Derrick White 3&D and more
Derrick White, the Celtics 2nd leading scoring, was his typical exceptional two-way self in this contest. Generally, his defensive impact is outlined clearly in the box score with steals and blocks. Against the Knicks though, Derrick’s on-ball defense shined as he forced a ton of missed shots against anyone he matched up with.
On the other end, White chipped in with six 3’s on his way to 24 points. The improvements he’s made to his jump shot since arriving in Boston is incredible. Overall, he’s so much more confident and comfortable. Early on, he’d pass up a good look to try to make the right play. Now he seems to understand that an open look for him is always the right play.
I tend to push back on the notion that Derrick is a “Role Player” because his role includes contributing in countless different ways. In a game like this where his 3&D ability is on full display, he’s also running pick and rolls as the ball handler or the screener.
The list of All-Defensive guards with this level of offensive versatility is incredibly slim, and one of the only guys that can match it is his own backcourt partner.
6. Jrue Holiday does a lot with a little
Sacrifice is a key component to Boston’s greatness. Jrue Holiday is the perfect example of what true sacrifice entails. He has settled into a role that requires significantly less usage than each of his previous stops in the league. There has never been a time that Jrue has voiced, or even shown the slightest sign that is something that bothers him. On the contrary, he’s found ways to maximize every second that he’s on the floor.
Jrue is extremely pliable in the sense that you can ask him to be five entirely different archetypes in the same game.
He can fill in the gaps as a cutter
He can be the off-ball 3PT marksman.
He can even score off the dribble when the game calls for it.
They didn’t even have to tap into Holiday’s post-game either.
The fact that Jrue Holiday fell into the Celtics lap will probably never make sense, but I don’t need to understand it to thoroughly enjoy every minute of it.
7. Brown’s case for All-Defense
After touching on a pair of All-Defensive guards, I think it’s time for Jaylen to get the credit he deserves on that end.
Admittedly, Brown’s defensive impact hasn’t always been consistent. He’s had well documented off-ball lapses over the years, but a corner has been turned, and he’s not looking back.
Jaylen has paired his extraordinary athleticism, size and length with an enhanced grasp on the scheme and opponent tendencies, along with a genuine desire to shut down his matchup.
This is the perfect formula for Brown to continue to build off of, and will give him a legitimate opportunity to earn himself a nomination for one of the defensive teams. On rare nights like this where his shot isn’t fully clicking, defense gives him an avenue to leave his mark on the game.
8. Boston moves as one
Overall, the Celtics did a great job executing their defensive gameplan. They were often able to dictate what type of looks the Knicks were able to get, and made them work much harder to achieve very little.
One play in particular really stood out in this regard:
With the 3rd quarter winding down, and a flaming hot Deuce McBride handling the ball, the Knicks wanted Kornet to switch on to him. Kornet instantly identifies what’s happening here and alerts Holiday, resulting in a smooth pass off between the two.
McBride has no interest in having Holiday switch on to him, so he waves Jericho Sims off to reset. Sims quickly calls out for Cam Payne – now guarded by Kornet – to go set the screen instead. Before Payne can react, Kornet has already switched back on to Sims. Sims believes he’s figured it out now and tries to bring Kornet up top again, but he doesn’t realize until it’s too late that Holiday is guarding him once again.
This was a full 10 seconds of the shot clock that was occupied by the Knicks trying and failing to hunt the matchup they wanted. The game was nearly over at this point, so that stakes weren’t exactly high, but we should see plenty of this type of pre-switching as the Celtics attempt to dictate the terms of the game.
9. The Knicks wing duo struggles
A lot has been said about the Knicks defensive wing tandem of Bridges and Anunoby. After acquiring Bridges there was a general consensus around the league that this team would be well equipped to challenge the Celtics. I won’t pretend New York can’t improve as the season goes on, because they certainly will, it doesn’t change the fact that there is a canyon of a gap between the Jays and the Knicks wing duo.
Bridges found a rhythm late, but he and OG spent the majority of the game being nonexistent on the offensive end. Anunoby looked uncomfortable when asked to create. He has a difficult time creating separation, and doesn’t have any real strength or size advantage to exploit. Bridges is known for his complementary scoring and offensive game, but that wasn’t on display either.
For the Knicks to become a legitimate threat in a series against the Celtics, these two have to be impactful on both ends. Josh Hart isn’t much of a threat from deep, and Brunson and Towns have defensive concerns. As this game showed, this is far too many pressure points for the Celtics to poke at.
10. The nation has been infected by Mazzulla-ball
As the clock ticked away and the game came to a close, boos rained down from a disappointed TD Garden crowd.
The Celtics finished just one 3-pointer away from claiming the NBA record for most made 3’s in a single game. They missed 13 consecutive attempts in an effort to break this record, and fans’ anticipation was crushed after every shot. There was a time where fans would’ve begged them to stop shooting, but the people crave more 3’s.
Mazzulla’s offensive system has infiltrated the minds of Celtics fans, and I’m afraid it’s past the point of no return. Boston’s 3PT hunting and proficiency has made watching every other team less enjoyable in comparison.
In a single game they tied the franchise record for made 3’s in a half, tied the NBA record for total made 3’s while also breaking the record for 3’s on opening night. They’ve elevated beyond the point where they’re worried about their opponent, and instead the starters watch anxiously from the bench as the reserves spend the final minutes trying to secure their place in the record books. These are the side quest Celtics.
