The NBA has resumed operations and started the journey to the Playoffs, which will begin in less than two months. currently, The leader of the league is the Boston Celticswhich he sends with him 43-17 recordhas won eight of his last 10 games and, after reaching the Finals last year, is a candidate to return to the starting line-up.
The Celtics are a franchise synonymous with success and in 19 seasons they have already succeeded 70% win or more: in 11 of those campaigns they were champions, in two others they reached the finals and in 17 of them they reached at least the East finals. The other two are this year and 2008-2009, in which they were eliminated by the Orlando Magic in Game 7 of the second round of the Playoffs.
Whether the Celtics will repeat that feat in 2023 cannot be predicted, but They have good arguments for doing so.
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Three highlights from the Boston Celtics’ great campaign
defensive scaffolding
The Celtics have, as of February 24, 2023, the 4th best defense in the NBA according to the defense rating. has a number of Allowed 111 points per 100 possessionssecond only to the Milwaukee Bucks, Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers.
The difference between the Celtics and them is that Boston is much better on offense since the other three franchises do not rank in the top 8 in offensive rating and have net rating 6.2 which is one point better than the second-best mark in the NBA at that, Cleveland’s 5.2.
Last season the Celtics already had the best defense in the NBA, allowing 110 points or less in 27 of their 60 games. The average score in the NBA is currently 114.6 points per team.
The beginning was not the best on this side, but growth has come.
Boston leads the league in defensive rebounds acquiring 75.1% of them, it is the fifth team with the fewest second chance points allows every 100 possessions, the sixth with the fewest points gets in the painted area per 100 possessions (47.8) and the tenth fewest rushing points allowed per 100 possessions (13.1). Are also which allows fewer free throws to opponents: 20.8 per game.
Marcus Smart and Al Horford They are among the contenders to embody the NBA’s best defensive quintet at the end of the season, but this is a team effort.
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MVP level Jayson Tatum
after it exists Eastern Conference Finals MVP and First Team All-NBA in 2022, Jayson Tatum could have reached his ceiling. But in 24 years, it stands to reason that it continues to evolve. And the Boston Celtics star continues to rise.
mean tatum 30.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks per game, with 46.2% on field goals and 35.5% on 3-pointers. In points, rebounds and assists it is the best numbers of his career. In blocks and field percentage, the seconds.
Right now, Nikola Jokic seems to be growing as a candidate to win his third MVP award, but Tatum wants to be in that conversation and be the leader every aspiring champion should have.
The fortress away from home
The Celtics turned their heads toward the 2022 NBA Finals for the great job they did on the road: they won seven out of eight away games against the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat. By definition, they started off winning at the Golden State Warriors’ Chase Center and then lost Games 2 and 5 in San Francisco, but still dropped a very positive 8-3.
These 2022 Celtics were just one win away from matching that record for most road wins to the Playoffs in one year (Houston Rockets 9-3 record 1995). And these Celtics promise to retrace that path.
Boston is the best away team in the regular season, with a 19-10 record for a 65% profit rate. No one lost less and no one won more as a guest. And facing the Playoffs, being able to succeed in any scenario is very important.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
