The Boston Celtics is experiencing something they didn't experience last season - they are struggling on defense. Through six games, they are ranked 29th in defensive efficiency, a far cry from their performance last season where they finished sixth.
Last season, the Boston Celtics had the reputation as a scrappy, physical, hard-nosed defensive team. They lacked rim protection but they made up for it with consistent on-ball pressure. They eventually earned a ticket to the playoffs, something that was unexpected as they were supposed to be rebuilding.
They have three of the peskiest perimeter defenders in the league right now in Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder. However, they are underperforming on that end of the floor and opposing teams are taking notice and attacking them.
In their game against the Denver Nuggets, the Boston Celtics' defense got annihilated and allowed the Nuggets to score 123 points. Emmanuel Mudiay exploded for 24 points in the first quarter to give the Nuggets a 20-point lead which they managed to maintain throughout the entire game.
Celtics head coach Brad Stevens was so upset with his team's performance that he coined them as a "finesse" team. Isaiah Thomas also stated his frustrations. "At this point, we're all talk," said Thomas. "When we don't come out with a sense of urgency, we're not a good team," he added.
"Defense is a five-man proposition," said Stevens. "If one is not in the right spot or in the right place, you're always going to be exposed, and certainly if you're small, you're going to be exposed," the coach said.
Smart called their effort against the Nuggets as "horrible" but they are positive they can do better next time. The Boston Celtics had a film session before their practice following their loss to the Nuggets and went over their mistakes. During their practice, everybody was locked in and went hard.
Bradley is just happy right now that their problems are sprouting early in the season. "I'm happy this is happening now so we can fix it," said Bradley. "Defense is all about effort. People just need to bring it every single night."
Horford is undergoing the concussion protocol of the NBA and might return on their next game, Kelly Olynyk may make his season debut on the same game, while Crowder may need another week to recover from a sprained ankle. Those three will definitely help the defense of the Boston Celtics but they definitely will have to put in the effort.