12.12.2017

Defense Key to Celtics' Fast Start

12/4/2007

Well, if we didn't know by now - with 14 wins in 16 games, many of them wire-to-wire routs - we can point to Celtics boss Danny Ainge's remarks yesterday as to why he thinks his team is overpowering its opponents. In a word, defense.

Ainge said the word "defense" more times yesterday than Allen Iverson said the word "practice" in his infamous rant while still with 76ers. It drives home the point behind the success of the 2007-08 team: It starts and ends with the defense, which, as most of us know, is usually what wins championships.

That's why you have to be so smitten by the play of this team. The Celtics have gone San Antonio on us overnight, playing the best defense in the NBA. It's not even close. We are not accustomed to this, not just the winning, but the way they are winning. We generally don't do defense.

The 2001-02 Celtics, the team that reached the conference finals, were second in the league in field goal defense, just behind Miami. But no one thought of them as a defensive powerhouse. You have to go back to the last Celtics championship team 21 years ago to find a league leader in defensive field goal percentage. It, too, was not generally seen as a defensive powerhouse (but it was the best passing team of all time). And it held opponents to a league-low 46.1 percent. This year, that would be 23d out of 30.

This year's Celtics are No.1 in field goal defense at 40.5 percent. Only one other team, Orlando, was as low as 43 percent entering last night's games. That's a Grand Canyonesque divide. The Celtics are No. 1 in points against, more than 4.5 points better than the Spurs, for years the gold standard (and still pretty good, by the way).

The Celtics have the top 3-point field goal defense (Orlando is next) and their win-loss differential of 13.5 points is well ahead of anyone else. Just to put it in perspective, the 72-win Chicago Bulls had a differential of 12.2 and the 1971-72 Lakers, who won 33 straight, had one of 12.3. The 1985-86 Celtics, for my money still the best team in NBA history, had one of 9.4.

"I've been impressed with how hard they are playing," Ainge said. "And I've been impressed with how well they have come together defensively. I thought [Sunday] our defensive consistency was impressive. There wasn't a lot of activity or life in the building, the outside shots weren't falling, but we still found a way to play well at the defensive end."

The defense has been astonishingly good at TD Banknorth Garden, where the last two visiting teams have scored 59 and 70 points (and Cleveland needed a flurry of late 3-pointers to reach 70). Maybe the first night set the stage, when the Wizards set an NBA record by going 0 of 16 from international waters. We've seen Denver trail by 39 at the half and the Knicks lose by 45.

The Celtics are beating opponents at home by the stunning average of 20.3 points a game. Opponents are shooting 38 percent and averaging 80.4 points in the Garden. In four of the nine games, the Celtics have never trailed, and no opponent has had as much as a 10-point lead at any time over the nine games.

"I guess that's the one surprise," Ainge said. "Our team has put it together defensively. It's not like we're scoring 75 points in a half."

Ainge said he is not surprised by the play of Kevin Garnett. ("I knew Kevin would transform our defense.") He said he is not surprised by the extras brought to the table by James Posey. ("I knew about his intangibles.") He said he is happy that coach Doc Rivers finally has players who listen to - and buy into - his constant harping on defense, defense, and more defense.

"It's an emphasis," Ainge said. "Doc has been preaching that ever since he's been here. But he always had those young teams, and it's a lot easier with veterans. We felt we needed to be a good defensive team to be a good basketball team. Offensively, we come and go. But, so far, defense has been our constant."

Sure, there are concerns going forward. "It's a long season," Ainge said, emphasis on the word "long." He added, "Health is always a concern. The consistent play of the young guys is a concern, although I think Perk [Kendrick Perkins] and Rajon [Rondo] are playing well. I'm happy with the way it is going."

How could he not be?

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