It's late in the season, and everyone in the NBA stratosphere has their eyes on the ever-important battle for playoff position. Often, it raises the level of play, the level of effort and the level of watch-ability, even for teams whose mathematical playoff hopes are slowly fading with every loss. For the most part, even those teams manage to come out with more fire.
That's what happened to the Boston Celtics right around the All-Star break. They've moved from a playoff pretender to one of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference, posting a 10-6 record since the All-Star break and they're sitting in the top half of the league in both offensive and defensive rating over that span. Once on the outside looking in, they've moved into the 8-spot in the East, with plenty of time and room to move up a spot or two.
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Per the eye test, things are looking much more cohesive as well. In the autumn months, the Celtics often looked out of place and unfamiliar with each other and Brad Stevens' system. A deadline deal that brought in Isaiah Thomas and Jonas Jerebko, on top of earlier deals that sent out Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green to Dallas and Memphis respectively, opened up opportunities for guys that didn't have a chance to showcase their abilities early on.
"One of the things that I personally place a high, high value on are basketball players, not positions, because you can win with good basketball players altogether," Stevens told Mass Live recently. Hopefully we can continue to grow in those areas and continue to get these guys better and be superstars in their natural positions, but also as versatile as they can be because the more positions you can play, the longer you're on the floor."
Scattered positional play, especially offensively, has been big for the Celtics since their surge into playoff position. With the departure of Rajon Rondo, the Celtics have used Evan Turner much more as a primary ball handler, something Turner hasn't been able to do much since leaving Philadelphia. Off the ball, Turner is rarely much of a threat. On the ball, he turns into a fairly dangerous wing with legitimate point guard skills.
It's unclear what Turner's future is in Boston, but in the short-term, he's probably gaining more fans than he's losing. Turner has been the catalyst for the Celtics' offense in a post-Rondo world, but that's far from the whole story offensively. Since being acquired (and when healthy), Isaiah Thomas has quickly become a fan-favorite for Boston. On the frontcourt, both Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk have more or less had good seasons and have done their part to help put the ball in the hoop. Most importantly, a sense of cohesion has finally made its way into the Celtics' offense.
Defensively, they already had one elite guy: Avery Bradley. He's a 6-1 shooting guard with an improved offensive game, but he's still somewhat limited with what he can do, especially close to the rim. His improved jumper has made it easier for him to get buckets inside, but he still has to improve on both of those skills to become truly dangerous on thast end. Defensively, though, he's as stifling as they come. The scariest part? The Celtics' prized first round pick, rookie Marcus Smart, might already be on Bradley's level defensively. Maybe even better.
Smart has dealt with nagging injury issues all year, but when he's been on the floor, he's had moments of pure brilliance on both ends. Offensively, he's still incredibly streaky, but he might already be on an elite level defensively. Part of defense is effort, something Smart has no problem with, but the separating point for him comes with his instincts. He knows when to reach, when to go for the block, and most importantly, when to stay down. Many NBA defenders struggle with biting on pump fakes, rather than just putting a hand in the shooter's face. Not Smart.
Unlike Turner, Smart is clearly in the Celtics' long-term plans. He may even be the piece the Celtics will want to build their entire future around, especially if his offensive continues to develop. Recent events lead Celtics fans to believe there is a chance of that happening, too. In order to get there, he'll have to build more consistency from beyond the arc, and be more willing to put the ball on the floor and cut to the rim. He'll also have to continue to build his point guard skills. All that said, the foundation for his success is very prevalent.
But the Celtics' turnaround is not about Marcus Smart. Not completely, anyway. The Celtics are winning more games now because they're playing with each other. Part of it comes from Turner's ability to create offense, part of it from the intimidation factor Smart and Bradley bring as a defensive backcourt pairing, and part of it from Brad Stevens' willingness to put guys in offbeat combinations on the floor.
Basketball teams, especially ones as young as the Celtics, won't succeed unless the entire team is playing at a high level. They just aren't good or experienced enough to play off of one guy yet. For now, the team concept will be more important for them than it will for most teams. The way they're playing, fighting late for a playoff spot, that doesn't seem like it will be a problem.