And One] 23-24 Preview: ㉘Boston, Win Now, Thirsty for a Win
A new NBA season is just around the corner. On October 24, the NBA will tip off the highly anticipated 2023-2024 season. Before the season starts, it’s a good idea to take a look at the strength of each team and the strengths and weaknesses of their key players. So we’ve got you covered. For the next 30 days, we’re going to take a look at one team a day to give you a scouting report on each team’s offense, style, and key players’ strengths and weaknesses for the 2023-2024 season.
We’ll go through each team in reverse order based on their performance last season. In our twenty-eighth installment, the Boston Celtics are looking to win their first championship in 16 years.
Results from the 22-23 season
- Regular season: 57 wins, 25 losses, 2nd place in the East
- PO: Out of the Eastern Conference Finals
Key players on the 23-24 season roster
- Handlers: Jerry Holloway, Derrick White, Peyton Pritchard
- Wings: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Dalano Banton, Jordan Walsh, Oshay Brissett
- Bigs: Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Luke Cornett
23-24 Season Checkpoints
- Win Now.
Boston took a blatant win-now approach this summer, trading away Marcus Smart, Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams, and others in favor of Kristaps Porzingis and J.R. Halladay. With a total team payroll of over $180 million, it’s a win-or-go-home situation. Boston hasn’t won a championship in 15 years, since 2008, so it remains to be seen if their championship push in recent years will come to fruition this time around.카지노사이트 - Health
Boston’s depth is definitely shallow due to the move this summer. In this situation, an injury blip could potentially derail the team. They’ll need their mainstays like Kristaps Porzingis, who still carries the stigma of being an injured reserve, and veteran Al Horford to stay healthy and rack up the wins. If the injury bug strikes, their title challenge is doomed to failure. - The short term
Boston is a team that has been consistently at the top of the Eastern Conference for the past few years, but has always come up one end short in the playoffs. They finished as runners-up in the 2022 Finals and have since lost two straight Eastern Finals. In the end, they’re two percent short in the short game, and their one-two punch of Jayson Tatum and Jayson Brown will have to overcome that on their own. Head coach Joe Mazzulla’s strategy and tactics will also be crucial.
Offense in 23-24
Boston was the second-best offense in the NBA last season, behind only Sacramento. Considering that Sacramento was the league’s dominant offense from the start of the season, posting “historic” offensive numbers, it’s not hard to see that Boston’s offense was just as potent. The Celtics were a very potent team last season with their set offense and transition game utilizing the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown one-two punch, especially with their aggressive early dribble penetration in the mid-court lane. The efficiency of spot-up jumper production derived from this was among the best in the league, with Boston ranking first in the league in frequency of spot-up offense and fourth in the league in points per possession production from spot-up offense last season.
Projected offense rolls for the 23-24 season
- Control Tower: Al Horford, Jayson Tatum, Jerryd Holliday.
- 2-on-2 game handlers: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Halladay, Derrick White
- Isolation: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis
- Spot-up Jumper Production: Jayson Tatum Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis
- Paint Zone Attack: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis
- Clutch time ‘The Man’: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown
Offensive stats from the 22-23 season
Offensive efficiency rating: 117.3 (2nd)
Scoring: 117.9 (4th)
Field goal percentage: 47.5 percent (14th)
Assists: 26.7 (7th)
3-pointers made: 16.0 (2nd)
Three-point percentage: 37.7% (6th)
Steals: 13.4 (7th)
Offensive rebounds: 9.7 (20th)
Paint zone scoring: 46.4 ppg (23rd)
Second-chance points: 12.7 (22nd)
Fastbreak points: 14.0 (15th)
Offensive rebounds based on opponent miscues: 15.9 ppg (22nd)
Defense in 23-24
Boston has been a dominant defensive team under Ime Udoka. The defense was good last season as well, ranking second in the league in Defensive Efficiency Rating. This season, the defense should be just as dominant. Marcus Smart is gone, but the addition of J.R. Halladay gives them a phenomenal perimeter lineup of Halladay-Brown-Tatum. Add to that Derrick White coming off the bench and you have a “one-strand” player on defense. Combine that with Kristaps Porzingis’ ability to protect the paint and Al Horford’s ability to run a clever team defense, and Boston has the potential to be one of the league’s top defensive teams once again. The only small variable is the loss of a longtime defensive anchor up front (Marcus Smart), forcing a change of leadership on defense. Once that issue is resolved, Boston’s defense should be very good again.
Projected defense roles for the 23-24 season
- Ace Stopper: Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown.
- Rim protectors: Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford
- Defensive rebounding: Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Jayson Tatum
- Team Defensive Anchors: Al Horford, J.R. Halladay
- Defensive Energizers: Jrue Halladay, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White
- Deflections and Turnover Causers: Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White
Defensive stats for the 22-23 season
Defensive efficiency rating: 110.6 (2nd)
Points allowed: 11.4 (5th)
Field goal percentage allowed: 46.3 percent (5th)
Assists allowed: 23.1 (2nd)
3-pointers allowed: 11.6 (6th)
3-point percentage allowed: 34.5% (4th)
Steals caused: 12.7 (26th)
Blocked shots: 5.2 (6th)
Offensive rebounds allowed: 9.7 (8th)
Points allowed in paint zone: 48.9 (9th)
Second-chance points allowed: 12.7 (7th)
Fastbreak points allowed: 13.2 (10th)
Mistake-based offense allowed: 15.4 ppg (5th)
Key Player Scouting Report
Jayson Tatum.
- Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 205 pounds
- College: Duke University
- Draft Year & Rank: 3rd overall in 2017
- Stats from 22-23: 30.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists in 74 games, 46.6 percent from the field, 35.0 percent from 3-point range
- SCOUTING REPORT
Best small forward in the class. Averaged a 30-point season for the first time since his rookie year last season, proving his ability to be one of the league’s top scorers. Very adept at scoring off the dribble, both off the pull-up jumper and off the catch-and-shoot, and is a great rim attacker utilizing his length and speed. He has a variety of offensive options, including 2-on-2 offense, isolation, and a post-up game, and he upgraded his scoring routes last season by taking 8.4 free throws per game. What makes Tatum so scary is that he’s also a strong presence on the defensive end, using his quickness and long arms to defend screens, as well as pressure and deflections. He’s a strong MVP candidate in the new season.
Jaylen Brown
- Height/Weight: 198 cm/ 101 kg
- College: University of California
- Draft Year & Rank: 3rd overall in 2016
- Stats from 22-23: 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists in 67 games, on 49.1 percent shooting from the field and 33.5 percent from three.
- SCOUTING REPORT
Swingman who has served as Boston’s one-two punch alongside Jayson Tatum. Hit the jackpot this summer, signing a massive five-year, $282.6 million extension with Boston. Like Tatum, his strengths lie in his ball-handling-based rim attack and pull-up jumper production, while his defense is also top-notch, utilizing his athleticism. He’s one of the league’s leading perimeter defenders, having a career-high season last season and earning a spot on the All-NBA Second Team. However, he relies heavily on right-handed dribble penetration, which is why he struggles in the playoffs. He will need to work on his offensive lopsidedness and turnover issues to step up in the future.
Kristaps Porzingis
- Height/Weight: 221 cm / 108 kg
- Country of Origin: Latvia
- Draft Year & Position: 4th overall in 2015
- Stats from 22-23: 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists in 65 games, 49.8 percent from the field, 38.5 percent from 3-point range
- SCOUTING REPORT
: A big man who earned the nickname “Unicorn” after his rookie year and was recognized as a player with overwhelming size and shooting ability. However, he has been plagued by nagging injuries since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament tear during the 2017-2018 season and has been labeled as a glass house. He rebounded last season with a career-high 23.2 points per game for Washington. He also played in 65 games, marking his first 60+ game season in six years since his Sophomore season (66). He was traded to Boston ahead of the season and promptly signed an extension, making him a key part of Boston’s win-now scheme. Again, health is key. As long as he’s healthy, he should be able to showcase his skills as a 3&B big man who excels at both rim protection and three-point production. In Washington, he was also efficient in his one-on-one offense, but that doesn’t mean much if he’s battling injuries.
J.R. Halladay
- Height/Weight: 193 cm/ 92 kg
- College: UCLA
- Draft Year & Rank: 17th overall in 2009
- Stats from 22-23: 19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 7.4 assists in 67 games, shooting 47.9% from the field and 38.4% from three.
- SCOUTING REPORT
: Veteran guard awaiting his 15th career season. Played a huge role in Milwaukee’s first championship in 50 years in 2021. Considered one of the most feared defenders in the game by active players, he’s actually one of the league’s best ace stoppers, using his quickness and reaction time to pressure defenders and create deflections. He was recently included in the Damien Lillard trade to Portland.
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