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The Boston Celtics continue to shut down opposing teams and have cemented themselves as the premier defensive unit in the NBA as a result.
With just eight games left of the regular season, it’s hard to envision the Celtics taking their foot off the gas as they remain in the hunt for the first seed in the Eastern Conference, although the Miami Heat will be doing everything they can to hold onto their top spot.
Still, the Celtics are the top-ranked defensive team in the league and are sitting fifth in the NBA’s offensive rating metrics since the turn of the year. Being in this type of form so close to the playoffs will be incredibly encouraging for Ime Udoka and his team, but other rosters around the league are sure to be concerned.
“We played them before James (Harden) got a chance to play, it got ugly on TNT, and for a reason, they were hooping. I said if they keep playing like this, they’re going to be the team to beat,” Philadelphia 76ers guard Danny Green told NBC Sports Boston.
Celtics Have Turned Their Season Around
It was a tough start to the season for Boston; a new head coach, new coaching staff, and multiple front office changes ensured the Celtics would be adapting to a new approach on the fly.
The result was a plethora of disjointed performances, losses from winning positions, and multiple press conferences where players and coaches were calling each other out. Still, Boston weathered the storm and has since become one of the better teams in the league, quickly racking up the wins and climbing the Eastern Conference table.
“I think that’s a team that might be the sleeper that comes out or gets to the Eastern Conference Finals when people don’t expect them to because they’ve been hooping. They’ve been playing defense. Their offense has helped their defense because they’ve been playing a lot smoother, more together, which was interesting to me,” Green told NBC Sports Boston.
Suddenly, Jayson Tatum is playing like an outside MVP candidate, Jaylen Brown has embraced more of an off-ball role, and Marcus Smart is looking like prime Rajon Rondo. So, it makes sense the conference rivals are beginning to cast concerned glances towards the Celtics.
Tatum Credits Improvements to Roster Health
In a recent interview with CBS Sports, Tatum discussed the Celtics’ rapid improvements throughout 2022 and noted how the team finally being healthy was a significant factor in the team turning a corner.
“It came to a point in the season where we just got healthy. I think, in the midst of COVID and other various injuries, that got us off to a rocky start. I also think that having a new coach and coaching staff, it took time to get time to get adjusted, more than others expected and that we would have liked.
At the same time, through the ups and downs, we always knew what we wanted to get to, and we knew we were close. And it just took for it to click, and once it did, we started playing the right way, having fun and competing, and it’s been working. Hopefully, we can keep it up,” Tatum said during the interview.
The Celtics will now face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, March 27, as they continue their bid to finish atop of the Eastern Conference. But for most fans, they’re just going to be happy with having home-court advantage throughout the post-season.
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