Most would agree that the Celtics' defense slipped last year. The previous year (2015-16) they ranked 5th in the league in defensive rating. Last year (2016-17) they were 12th.
Do you think they'll be better this year than last? I do, even though they've lost both Bradley and Crowder. Here is my thinking:
1) Irving is a blah defender, but he's still much better than IT. Irving has never been a good defender, but he's got the tools to be adequate with the right coaching and effort. As many mentioned, the sheer fact that he's a half-foot taller than IT means you won't have to "hide" him on D the same way, with the remaining four players compensating. Think IT covering Otto Porter in the ECF, for instance.
2) Bradley was great on ball, but undersized and not very versatile. Bradley was great on quick guards, but was undersized against a lot of SGs (he had trouble with Bradley Beal in the same ECF series, for instance). The remaining wings on this team -- Hayward, Brown, Ojeleye, Tatum, Nader -- and also Smart are switchable 2 through 4 on D.
3) Crowder's D had slipped to some extent. I'm not sure if it was his ankle or what, but Crowder was not a standout defender last year. That's not to say he's not a useful role player, but I don't think we are going to suffer greatly from losing him.
4) Defensive rebounding should improve. You swapped Amir for Baynes (which I think is a plus given how Amir had slowed), you picked up another decent rebounder in Morris, and you're starting PG is now much bigger. Bradley actually helped a lot with defensive rebounding last year , but you're giving those minutes to the likes of Smart and Jaylen Brown, who are also good on the glass.
What do you people think? Is my assessment too optimistic?
Topic: Has the Celtics' defense improved over last year? (Read 642 times)