As the Boston Celtics were wrapping up 2021, they had a brutal last month of December as they only had a 6-9 record. All their opponents were over.500 for December, but the Celtics had some recent disastrous losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers. As they were hosting their final match against the Phoenix Suns in an early afternoon start, it seemed that Chris Paul or Devin Booker would just lead their team to another easy victory.
Boston was still missing Jayson Tatum for his huge matchup, but the Celtics had a blowout statement victory over the Suns, 123-108. They were up by double figures the majority of the way as they led by as many as 30 points in the second quarter. The Suns cut down the deficit in the second half, but Boston was finally able to prove that they could close out a game against a formidable opponent.
Here are 3 reasons this win was a turning point for the Celtics' season.
28 assists on 45 baskets
All NBA fans would know that the Celtics have two of the most talented scorers in the league in Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but their roster has been criticized as an iso-heavy team. This is definitely true especially in the fourth quarter, but it was an impressive game plan for head coach Ime Udoka to impart for his players to be selfless in a crucial game.
As Tatum is due to return in a few days, it would be remarkable if the ball would fizzle around even more in the latter half of the season for the Beantown Boys. There is no question that Boston is talented enough to compete for a top six spot in the Eastern Conference, but their trouble has been stemming due to their lack of continuity and chemistry. It was terrific that the aforementioned team chemistry was evident against a Suns team that looked lost defensively.
Role players are stepping up
As the President of Basketball Operations, Brad Stevens bolstered their depth by adding numerous players like Al Horford, Josh Richardson, and Dennis Schroder. These three acquisitions have been inconsistent along with their young players like Romeo Langford, Grant Williams, and Robert Williams III. However, all these individuals except Schroder (who was not able to suit up) played sensational against the Suns.
Inconsistency has been the continuous problem, but having them all play at a high level against the second-best team in the Association is a tremendous building block for Udoka. The Celtics must give Udoka the chance to tinker with the lineups when everyone is healthy, so he would find the best combinations to utilize for the rest of the season. There is optimism for Boston to bounce back with a lighter January schedule, and the possibility of finally having a complete roster soon.
Defense must be their calling card
When Udoka was tasked to be in the helm for the Celtics, it was expected that he would bring a culture that heavily focus on defense. Their offseason moves and current construction of the roster were versatile and gave them more athleticism. The Celtics were top five in the league defensively, but that has since regressed to ninth in defensive rating currently.
Booker and Paul just shot 13 out of 41 from the field in their last outing, highlighted by the sensational team defense along with the schemes of Udoka. Williams III possessed massive rim protection with five blocked shots as the Celtics maximized their size on the block. Boston does have two excellent shot creators in Tatum and Brown, but it is their defense that could differentiate from the other star duos in the league.
Four of the next five games for Boston are at home, thus making it a sensible approach for them to find their rhythm and elevate their seeding in the East. This victory must provide them the inspiration and positivity that the early losses are already water under the bridge. The Celtics are not far off from the other top six teams of the conference, but they must focus on their defensive prowess as this will spiral to more success and opportunities on the offensive end.
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