But different doesn’t have to mean worse.
It can just mean different.
I think it’s important that as fans, you understand that.
What we experienced in 2023-24 was a magical season.
From top to bottom in every single aspect of their season, they were incredible.
Pick anything you want, and the Celts were unbelievable at it.
It was objectively one of the greatest seasons in NBA history.
Fact, not opinion.
You get one of those seasons in your lifetime, if you’re lucky.
Entering this season, their record is OK.
They are now tied with OKC at 14-4 for the best road record in the NBA.
Their 16 wins vs teams .500 or better are the most in the East.
By all means, they are absolutely still the level of contender they were entering the year.
Not winning the title would be a massive failure, that bar of expectations remains the same.
But what I think has to stop is treating the 2024-25 Celtics like they are the 2023-24 Celtics.
I look at it like this, which helps explain what I mean.
The 2024 Celts season was essentially the 2017 KD Warriors season.
During the entire KD era, that was their one truly historic season.
Wire to wire dominance unlike the league had really seen since the Jordan Bulls.
That’s what the Celts 2024 was.
This season for the Celts is what I would compare to the 2015 GS season.
It’s not quite to the level we saw in 2017, but still dominant.
That team had a +10.1 point differential (sound familiar?)
that settled into +9.63 once you add in the playoffs, which included a run to the title.
That feels pretty similar right?
The season they are currently having would be considered one of the better seasons in NBA history.
At +9.5, that would be the 15th best point differentials ever.
In the history of the NBA.
But here’s the thing.
That, is what matters.
And frankly, the basketball this team is playing stinks.
Poor shooting, poor defense, and a horrific 4th quarter.
Be stubborn about that if you want, but those exact issues have turned into a trend.
It’s consistent in every single one of their 11 losses, especially during this 8-7 stretch.
It’s OK to say the 2025 Celts are different from the 2024 Celts.
That’s normal and not even a big deal.
With that said, let us begin.
No, not really.
Get out of my face with that.
I mean, what are we doing?
As you’re able to tell, I’m rather annoyed.
Let’s just move on to the real and more important parts of this blog.
The Bad
- Where do we even begin?
Let’s start with the very first quarter.
Not just in terms of percentage, but also in terms of volume.
The first quarter was a perfect example of this.
The Kings came out firing, taking 18 3PA in their first 30 FGA.
Of course not, because they were already behind the 8 ball in terms of 3pt shooting.
The quarter ended 8-4 3PM, and the Kings found themselves with 34-27 lead.
In today’s NBA, you cannot trade 2s for 3s.
You have a choice.
You cannot focus on 2s and not limit 3PA, that is how you get Mazzulla Ball’d.
When did the game turn in the Celts favor?
Look at the 2nd and 3rd quarters.
In both of those frames, the Celts matched the 3PT volume.
12 vs 11 in the 2nd and 6 vs 9 in the 3rd.
Their defense tightened up and it gave them control of the game about midway through the 3rd quarter.
So what happens in the 4th?
They once again go back to trading 2s for 3s.
In the first 6 minutes of the quarter when the Kings pulled away, look at the shot charts!
“The Celtics need to take more 2s!
All they do is chuck 3s!”
Do you morons see the light now?
If your opponent is taking and making 3s, you HAVE to match their volume.
It’s simple math.
In no world should the Celtics finish a game in which they are outshot 47-41 from behind the arc.
That’s all fine and good, but here’s the thing.
How did this lineup perform last night?
Offensively, not terrible.
A 121.4 ORTG and a 67% TS%.
A disastrous 121.4 DRTG.
Given all your best defenders were active, that’s pathetic.
If the starters are struggling, the bench cannot also struggle like this.
During this 15 game stretch (8-7) the bench is shooting 39/26% in those 7 losses.
In the 5 losses that have come at home, they are shooting 41/27%.
That is almost unconceiveable, but it’s the truth.
If you want to know why things may feel different, this is pretty high on my life.
The shooters have simply not been able to consistently make shots.
Absolutely nothing offensively (3-12, 1-8), a combined -27 and zero perimeter defense.
Did it feel like they provided any sort of resistance on the perimeter in this game?
How did you like that 4th quarter defense in terms of limiting SACs 3PA.
Pretty awful if you ask me.
- A completely unacceptable performance around the margins.
SAC killed the Celtics on the glass 56-32, with Sabonis himself accounting for 28.
He had 8 OREB by himself, which matched the Celts total AS A TEAM.
In terms of TOs, guess what!
Another high total (15), led to another loss.
Almost like taking care of the ball is important!
He has to take care of the ball!
All momentum gone, simply because of ball security and a lack of focus.
That meant he was on the bench to start the 4th, which was an even bigger disaster.
Overall, he has 34/22% splits in the final frame.
The Ugly
- There’s no other way to say it.
When he returned in the 4th (just 4 minutes), he did not take a single FGA.
It was all mostly cardio minutes.
Not the end of the world, everyone has stinkers, but this was a very frustrating Tatum performance.
I called it out on Dec 20th and it remains true to this day.
The biggest problem the Celts have this season is their 4th quarter defense
Hmm, what did we see?
Kings shot 60/72% with 8 3PM.
Here’s the bigger issue.
This is not new.
Over these last 15 games?
The fact that 5 of those 7 losses have come at home, I mean what the fuck.
NBA games are 4 quarters long, what’s so hard to understand about that?
In fact, that was partially what made them so good last season.
I want you to look at those numbers again.
This is the real issue the 2024-25 Celtics are facing.
Not how many 3s they take, not health, not coaching, none of that shit.
4th quarter execution on both ends of the floor has been horrendous in every single one of their losses.
It’s not exactly rocket science.
Shooting, defense, ball security, rebounding, it’s all been awful.
Quick question, does this look like winning basketball to you?
Does this look like a team that is locked in and playing with the right approach?
How would you rate this execution?
This, like much of the play we saw in the 4th quarter, is losing basketball.
Don’t be surprised when playing losing basketball loses you games.
That’s why it’s called losing basketball.
That’s not exactly a winning formula.
- The collective shooting rut this team is in is pretty fucking insane.
Part of the game of basketball is ya know….making shots.
Where that’s been the last month is anyone’s guess.
Now 6.5 back of CLE, the 1 seed at this point is most likely out.
If they don’t check that box, NBA history says nothing else matters.
