Celtics ought to (actually) steal a web page from Thunder’s defensive playbook

There have been loads of huge performs within the Thunder’s comeback victory over Boston Sunday afternoon, however two, specifically, stand out.

First, Kenrich Williams poked the ball away from Jaylen Brown. Cason Wallace picked it up after which beasted Jrue Vacation in transition for a layup that gave the Thunder a two-point lead:

Then, simply minutes later, Lu Dort stole a stunned Derrick White’s cookies like a tardy Grinch and strolled down the court docket for a straightforward dunk:

The gang drowned out the published, and although the sport was nonetheless tight, there was a palpable momentum shift. The Thunder knew that they had it.

The turnover recreation was a humorous factor yesterday. Beneath Joe Mazzulla, Boston by no means forces turnovers. Because the 2022-23 season, the Celtics have ranked twenty sixth, twenty seventh, and twenty fourth in compelled turnover fee. It hasn’t harm their total defensive ranking (third, third, and seventh this season), however Mazzulla needs his guys positionally disciplined to pressure opponents into dangerous pictures. The Celtics by no means permit nook threes and had notched 4 straight seasons as a top-three group in opposing rim frequency till falling to eleventh this yr.

What if he gave the Celtics a little extra leash to gamble and chase turnovers?

I hear you. The Celtics technically compelled 15 turnovers yesterday to OKC’s 16, however that stat is deceptive. Turnovers could be damaged down into live-ball and dead-ball classes. Reside-ball TOs are usually steals that hold the ball in play, whereas these of the dead-ball selection lead to a clock stoppage.

Whereas each are helpful, live-ball turnovers are considerably extra so. An older examine from Inpredictable advised that live-ball turnovers create 1.2 factors per possession, whereas dead-ball turnovers solely lead to 0.9 factors per possession (worse than the anticipated offense after a made shot or defensive rebound).

The reason being undoubtedly apparent. Reside-ball turnovers begin quick breaks, whereas dead-ball turnovers give defenses an opportunity to set themselves. Forcing turnovers is all the time factor, however producing live-ball turnovers is without doubt one of the greatest swings in basketball.

Boston solely generated six live-ball turnovers within the marquee matchup, whereas the Thunder notched 11 steals. Relatedly, the Thunder scored 22 factors in transition, together with a whopping 13 within the fourth quarter! The Celtics solely had 11 for the sport.

Mazzulla’s dogmatic insistence on self-discipline has yielded outcomes, however we shouldn’t assume {that a} Celtics group stuffed with clever defenders will essentially compromise their integrity when chasing havoc. A lot of the finest defenses within the league have closely compelled turnovers.

This yr alone, 5 of the highest six defenses additionally rank within the high eight for forcing turnovers (and OKC and Orlando, the very best and second-best defenses, are additionally first and second in that class). Final yr, 5 of the highest six defenses had been within the high 10. And the yr earlier than that, eight of the highest 10 defenses had been within the high 10 for compelled turnovers, with solely Boston and Milwaukee excepting.

It is a theme; groups that pressure a ton of turnovers are often actually good defenses. Boston itself was a type of groups; underneath Ime Udoka and Brad Stevens, the Cs routinely ranked as an elite protection with above-average turnover-forcing marks.

Seventh is not any slouch, however anybody watching the video games can inform Boston isn’t fairly as hermetic on the level of assault or with their assist schemes. I’m not saying Celtics gamers ought to chase the ball round like a bunch of golden retrievers. However Derrick White, Jrue Vacation, and the Jays are long-armed and clever gamers. Groups have slowly discovered methods to assault Boston’s protection (can the Celtics save Charles Lee from hell Charlotte?).

Why can’t they press the passing lanes just a little extra, significantly when Porzingis is wholesome and supplies robust backline rim safety? Why can’t they take some tactical digs on the ballhandler, punching on the ball like an NFL security? Why can’t they incorporate extra semi-spontaneous double groups to panic ballhandlers?

Boston is locked in a battle for seeding within the East. This isn’t final season, the place they ran away with the league and had a margin for error that took up the whole paper. They don’t need to experiment for experimentation’s sake. However with greater than half the season left, Mazzulla has loads of time to calm down the foundations and see what occurs.

That course of has already began. Since Christmas Day, the Celtics have truly ranked 14th in forcing turnovers whereas sustaining a seventh-rated protection. In fact, a few of that’s schedule-based, however Mazzulla has already admitted to an intentionality.

When requested why the group had dedicated so many fouls in opposition to the Indiana Pacers just lately, Mazzulla responded that they had been “attempting to pressure extra turnovers, attempting to be extra energetic…there’s a few issues we gotta work on, and forcing turnovers is one in every of them. That’s gonna result in just a little little bit of moments of unsolidness, which hopefully creates turnovers, however tonight it didn’t.”

It’s good the teaching workers acknowledges this, and I hope the group’s current struggles within the win/loss column don’t trigger Mazzulla to revert to outdated habits. I can’t assist considering that Boston’s protection has a better ceiling if they might embrace just a little extra chaos. The personnel is there. Vacation is getting older, nevertheless it’s not a coincidence he’s posted the 2 lowest steal charges of his profession since transferring to Boston. Jaylen Brown has had moments of very good on-ball strain this season; I’d wish to see extra, even when his very good foul fee falls to simply fairly good. Derrick White is usually positioned because the low-man helper to reap the benefits of his extraordinary rim-protection instincts, however I’d wager he might play passing lane bandit, too, if given the chance.

The Celtics’ protection is much from damaged. That doesn’t imply it will probably’t be improved, nevertheless. With loads of video games left, I’d wish to see the Celtics take a web page from each the Thunder and my four-year-old by turning into just a little stickier-fingered.