#1 – Assists percentage through the roof
The Celtics are dead last in assist percentage this season, with an assist on only 56.5% of their baskets. This is directly linked to Boston’s huge tendency to lean on isolation, especially with Jaylen Brown. Last night, as the Celtics’ go-to guy was resting, the team needed to switch gears and lean much more on ball movement.
With this different approach, the Celtics increased their assist rate to 64.6% last night in Washington, which would rank 10th in the NBA this season. A nice adaptation from the coaching staff and the team to exploit the strengths of the group available.
#2 – White and Queta pick-and-roll
One of the go-to actions last night for the Celtics without JB was the pick-and-roll between Derrick White and Neemias Queta. As the Wizards’ defense didn’t want to give White space to pull up, it opened the roll for Queta much more. While two defenders were on the ball, the Portuguese big man could roll to the rim as the help defense was often too late.
Later in the game, the Wizards decided to stick more to their matchups in these actions, so the Celtics added an off-ball screen before the pick-and-roll. Like below, White used a first screen before getting into the two-man action with Queta. Because of that, he is a step ahead when he gets the ball and can attack the paint.
#3 – Stagger for Pritchard
Next to White, the other main offensive creator was Payton Pritchard. On top of his impressive offensive rebounding, the guard impacted the game with his scoring. To unlock it, the Celtics ran several actions in which PP received two screens from his teammates to gain an advantage on his defender and get to his spots.
And, similar to White and Queta, when the defense became too focused on his scoring gravity, it opened the roll to the rim, like on this alley-oop for the big man.
Once again, the Celtics dominated the glass offensively with 15 offensive rebounds on 45 missed shots. Led by PP and Jordan Walsh, the Green Army made sure to capitalize on the lack of discipline from the young Wizards. On the play below, the Celtics move the ball well, shoot, crash the boards, and create an extra possession.
The pressure on the offensive glass became natural, and the offensive flow that followed the rebounds kept getting better.
#5 – Running in transition
The Celtics ran a lot last night. Per Cleaning the Glass, they created a shot attempt from 50% of their defensive rebounds, 20% above league average this season. Even after made shots by the Wizards, the Celtics tried to exploit slow defensive retreats, like here with Baylor Scheierman.
#6 – Walsh perfect from the field
Walsh put together another strong performance as a member of the Celtics’ starting five, with an impressive 8-for-8 shooting night. What is interesting about his shot profile, and what says a lot about both his impact and this new version of the Celtics, is that six of his eight attempts came in transition or after offensive turnovers.
Only two came in half-court situations, and one in particular stood out. On this last bucket, he played like an old-school center, setting a strong screen on the ball to create space before rolling into the paint. Just enough time for a power dribble with two hands and a slam at the rim. As the Celtics often played without a true center, it is encouraging to see him capable of filling that role.
#7 – Minott growing as a center
Alongside Walsh, Josh Minott is also showing encouraging signs as a center in the Celtics’ small-ball approach. He has played 250 possessions so far at the five, and the Celtics are +15 in those minutes.
Defensively, things have been rough in these lineups, with an ugly 1.23 points per possession allowed. But the offense keeps improving. When Minott anchors the middle, the Celtics are scoring 1.38 points per possession, and he is a big reason why.
The pace and spacing he brings to the offensive structure make things easier for the four other players on the floor. He can screen, pass, run, shoot, and crash the boards — a versatile skill set that is helping the Celtics in this setup.
#8 – Justin Champagnie got his revenge on the Celtics
What a poster from Champagnie on White. Usually in transition, White is the one creating highlight blocks, but not this time. The former Celtic, waived on August 1st, 2023, got his payback. Since leaving Boston, Justin seems to have found his place in the NBA.
#9 – 109 true shooting attempts to 95
Thanks to nine fewer turnovers and nine more rebounds, the Celtics generated 14 more shot attempts than the Wizards. Even against a lottery team, Joe Mazzulla’s group showed the discipline needed to take control early and never let go.
#10 – The Washington defense of the last 30 years
Per pbpstats.com, only one team since 1996 has had a worse defensive rating relative to the league than this version of the Wizards: the 1999 Denver Nuggets. Will Washington end up as the worst defense in NBA history?
