The Celtics Should Be Both Encouraged And A Little Embarrassed By Their Much Needed Win Over The Bucks

Brian Babineau. Getty Images.

Heading into last night's game the feeling for me at least was that the Celts were presented with another opportunity to show they are truly turning a corner. Beating the Raptors was fun and all, but going up against Giannis is a different animal. Then we learned that Giannis would be sitting it out and suddenly things shifted. Going up against a Giannis/Middleton/Lopez-less Bucks team really isn't the same. But with that test being robbed from us, we were presented with a new challenge. Now this because one of those games the Celts could not lose. Given where they are, what they are trying to do in terms of getting their season on track, being at home, you have to win that game. As we know, the Celts have had their fair share of losses with this exact situation. So while we may not have gotten the answers to what we thought would be the initial test, we still learned something about this team. 

You see, again this could be just me. But I still want more examples of what this team does when they find themselves in a dogfight. The Bucks didn't go away at any point of this game. So often do we see the Celts go into a game, think they are going to just steamroll someone and then that team punches back and normally the Celts lose and everyone is upset. Well look, there were 22 lead changes and 10 ties in this game. While you may want to kill the team for having to go to OT against the Bucks given their roster, I'm someone who thinks having to execute and come through in tight moments is the type of muscle memory I want this team to build. This was the first time I felt that the Celts won a game in which they didn't even play all that well.  Despite that, they still found a way to win at a time when they really really really need wins. I don't care how they get em, I don't care who they are against, I just need wins right now. 

Suddenly the Celts have won 4 of 5 and are riding that momentum into CLE tonight. As always before we worry about that, we first relive what we saw last night.

The Good

- As someone who has love and trusted for the last 6 years of the Marcus Smart Experience, you would think I would be prepared for Dennis Schroder to be on my favorite basketball team. They really aren't all that different in terms of what it feels like to watch both play. They do shit at times that will drive you mad, but then immediately make up for it with something awesome. They in no way shape or form lack any confidence when it comes to shooting the ball, situation be damned. They can win you and lose you a game all at the same time. I find myself praying on every Schroder three the same way I do with Smart.  Well, sometimes those prayers are answered

The Celtics do not win this game without the heroics of Dennis Schroder. He carried them in the first quarter with 14 points on 12 shots and never looked back. We just had to hold onto our butts and hope things didn't end in complete disaster. In the end we were rewarded with a 16-27 performance. It's also true this game might not be as close as it was if it was not for Dennis Schroder. His turnovers were certainly a problem. The defense was, OK at best. This is what I meant at the top of this section, both Schroder and Smart have games like this. You take the good with the bad and accept them for what they are.

There's no denying Schroder's speed is a real weapon. Man is that dude fast. I thought FastPP was fast but Schroder is a different speed. Night's like this are what get you excited because this team needs its guards to attack the paint and finish around the rim. Tonight Schroder did just that and it saved this team from another frustrating loss.

- And then there's Marcus. Let's not forget about Marcus. Probably one of if not his best all around performance of the season. 

Smart checked pretty much every box tonight. His shot selection was great overall, he finished with just 13 FGA. Less than half of those were threes so he did a better job in terms of his shot location as well. Way more in the paint than we've seen previously. Defensively he held Jrue Holiday in check to the tune of 7 points on 2-6 shooting in 29 possessions, and as a passer/playmaker he easily has the best assist of the season while finishing with a total of 6 to go along with 0 turnovers. He then also had a brutal moment in a big spot. Like I said, he checked every box. 

He also carried this team in the third quarter. Smart played all 12 minutes, led the team with 12 points on 4-5 shooting and it was that quarter in which the Celts got their lead. They won it 37-26 and that doesn't happen without Smart's play. Considering that was the only quarter the Celtics won in this entire game, that feels important. I thought it was pretty important for Smart to really start to improve his play if he was going to talk publicly like he did, and so far he's trending in the right direction. Since that Bulls game, he's throwing up 11/3.8/4.8 on 43/30% splits while being solid defensively. It's no surprise that as he's started to get out of his early season slump, so has the team's record. 

- I don't know what I love more. The fact that every single time I watch Robert Williams play he does more and more cool shit?

Or is it the fact that we now live in a world where Rob can play 41 MINUTES in a game and only commit 1 personal foul? I don't know where the hell we are but I sure as shit know I love it here. I never want to leave. This is the Robert Williams we all dreamed of seeing one day. Back when we would stay faithful and repeatedly state that all Rob needed to do was stay on the floor and he could become an absolute beast. We are watching that beast. The rebounding, the blocks, the alley oops, and how about the passing? That quick decision cut to Romeo made me feel things. I think having Horford back in his life is going to do wonders for his career. We may actually be at the point where this is just who Rob is. He's having one of the best seasons of any center in the NBA and he's 24 years old. 

- It won't get as much love, but Romeo's defense was really good last night. It wasn't a night where he did anything really that shows up in the box score outside of his 1-4 shooting performance, but if you watched you saw someone who made his impact on the defensive end. He only gave up 3 points in all his matchups, and it's what really helped the Celts set the tone defensively when the game started to turn.

The Bad

- You may have been a little confused reading that top section and wondering where Jayson Tatum was. I mean he had 27/11, that's not exactly terrible. In fact, I would say his 1st through 3rd quarter were actually pretty good. A nice 22/10 on 9-20 (4-10). But I hated how he played for the most part. The Bucks had zero size in this game, yet this was Tatum's shot chart

That's not what I want. That's not what anyone should want. Nowhere close to enough paint touches/shots against a team where Bobby Portis was their biggest player. He took just 4 FTA on then night and only 2 of those came in regulation. In this game, that's mostly due to his approach as opposed to him being aggressive but just not getting calls. 

Then there was his closing of the game which we're going to get to a little later. TLDR, it was bad. Now 12 games in, the 4th quarter/clutch numbers on Tatum are not for the feint of heart. 

4th Quarter: 33/47%

Clutch situations: 31/20%

That's simply nowhere close to being good enough. Not getting anything positive from Tatum at the end of these games or in high pressure situations has proven to be less than ideal. Especially when Jaylen Brown is not playing. Last night, those struggles came mostly from his approach and bad habits.

- Fair is fair. If I'm going to talk about how well Smart played, I also have to show the clip of him getting put in a blender in maybe the biggest moment of the game. I am nothing but fair and balanced

Great move by Allen sure, but that doesn't negate that Smart got taken at a time when you really can't allow that to happen. In real time I wasn't sure if there was something with the screen or what, but in reality Smart got cooked. Happens to everyone I suppose, I just wish it didn't happen with the game on the line on the front end of a B2B. 

- It'll be a nice day when we see this team finally start to shoot their normal percentages from three. Just 12-41 last night, we're seeing some guys in real slumps at the moment. Al Horford is now 3 for his last 20. Grant is just 2 for his last 19. Richardson is 3 for his last 12. I'm most concerned about Al. Him hitting his wide open pick and pop threes is pretty vital to this offense. He's shooting just 23% so far on the season. He's never shot that low in his career ever since he really started taking threes back in 2013. 

- They eventually turned things around in the second and third quarter defensively, but this was not exactly the same type of lockdown performance we had seen in the previous 3-4 games. Giving up 108 in regulation isn't terrible, but given who the Bucks were missing to still allow 44/34% splits with 16 3PM isn't exactly great. 

Part of those issues were all the points given up off turnovers. The Celts kept giving the Bucks a lifeline rather than pull away, and they took advantage. Credit to them but pretty bad for us. 

- It's really baffling that Pritchard is getting DNP-CDs. Especially with how good his rookie year was and then how much better he looked this summer. Guy can't even get on the court. I really hope he's able to stay positive because this season has to be going the exact opposite of what he thought it would be.

More on that, Ime is making me nervous with this short rotation. It's not even Thanksgiving and the Celts are 28th in total bench minutes. What was the point of adding all this depth if we are not even going to use it early in the season? Maybe Ime wants to wait until the Celts have dug out of this hole, but this is a dangerous game. You don't want to play Kanter? Fine. But let Romeo/Nesmith/Pritchard get some reps while giving your main guys some actual rest. Maybe that'll change tonight on a B2B but who knows.

The Ugly

- Dennis is turning the ball over way too much. A total of 14 over two games, this has to be cleaned up immediately. If he's going to be the primary ball handler when he's on the floor then he can't be throwing it away every two seconds. That's true of whoever is the primary ball hander. Stop throwing the ball away. The Celts finished with 16 turnovers in this game and if you're looking for a reason why this wasn't a route well there ya go. Those 16 turnovers turned into 24 Bucks points.

- If you don't mind, I would like to dive into the fourth quarter and OT of Jayson Tatum. Seeing as how he went 1-5 over this stretch, it was a big contributing factor as to why this team could not close out a game in which they led by 6 with 90 seconds left. That's pathetic. When you watch Tatum's possessions, you'll notice it's everything we hate seeing from this team late in games. It's exactly what Marcus Smart was talking about in his postgame presser that everyone got all bent out of shape about. It needs to get better.

On his first shot, outside of the situation I don't have too many complaints. This is a shot we know Tatum can make and it's a clean look. What bothered me at the time was the fact that it came right after Schroder had just taken a three. It felt like they were going for the homerun play late in a game. That's what they need to avoid.

Then he made a stepback on his very next possession so call it a wash.

Next we have the play with 2:18 left in a 6 point game

Here's the bad part we all hate. Tatum isolation. He holds the ball the whole time, Marcus Smart is forced to stay in the corner, and everyone is standing and watching. No ball movement, no player movement, nothing. 

I'm looking at everyone from Tatum to Ime on a play like this. Was this what Ime called? If so, why? Did Tatum ignore the play and decide to keep it? Why is he refusing to take advantage of the mismatch? This is Bobby Portis, just go by him? 

Next was another confusing play in a big moment. This coming in a 3 point game with under a minute left

Yes, I like that Tatum actually drove to the rim, but he continues to be very loose with the ball on drives. Very little ball security this season when Tatum gets into the paint. A turnover here is pretty much the last thing you want to do

Then, at the end of regulation it was guess what? More Tatum isolation. More Tatum dribbling, more everyone else standing and watching, more unsuccessful possessions. 

In OT, it was more bad habits. Like this play where you see Smart does a great job at setting a nice hammer screen for Horford in the corner. The skip pass is there. Instead the possession was once again Tatum holding the ball and everyone else standing around watching. It ultimately ended in a low percentage fadeaway that never had a chance. 

This is what poor late game execution looks like. Shit like this is how you blog leads at the end of games. The Celts late game offense has been dogshit for like three years by now, and it's because of approaches like this. When the ball moves this team looks unstoppable. When it sticks like this, they'll continue to struggle.

But hey, big picture, a win is a win. Good to secure a much needed home win, but the Celts are going to have to play much better than this is if we want to see any sort of sustained success. Continue to build on it tonight against a much improved Cavs team and let's keep it moving. The Celts have new life so I'd appreciate it if they took advantage.