The Boston Celtics came into the season with a pre-existing cause to have low expectations for themselves.
Ime Udoka, the guy who had changed so much about their culture and guided them to the NBA Finals as a first-year coach last season, was handed a yearlong suspension before to training camp for having an inappropriate relationship with a woman who worked for the club. The reason for the suspension was that he had an inappropriate relationship with the lady.
However, with nearly a quarter of the schedule complete, Boston has emerged from the preseason gloom with an NBA-best 13-4 record and appears to be a club that is still capable of making the most of its opportunity to win the championship.
Joe Mazzulla, who was just supposed to serve as a stopgap measure until the front office determined whether or not Udoka would be able to return, has proven himself to be an excellent interim coach.
Jayson Tatum has given every indication that he is determined to demonstrate that the difficulties he encountered in the playoffs last year were an isolated incident. And he’s gotten plenty of help from his supporting cast, which has helped round out a club that hasn’t been as prone to some of the late-game problems that plagued it throughout the previous season.
Tatum recently stated that in comparison to the beginning of the previous season, the way in which the team is playing at the beginning of this season is “like night and day.” “But ever since we decided to make that adjustment, it seems to me that we haven’t looked back.”
On Monday in Chicago, the Celtics’ season-best winning streak of nine games came to an end. On the other hand, they will be thrust back into the public eye on Wednesday night when they face off against Dallas and the highest scorer in the league, Luka Doncic.
The Mavericks’ leading scorer has been nearly impossible to stop, averaging 33.5 points per contest for the season.
Tatum is not too far behind and currently leads Boston and is sixth in the NBA with 30.2 points per game. He explains the fact that he is getting to the free throw line at a career-high rate of 8.5 times per game to an offseason training regimen that was supposed to help him play more physically.
In addition to that, he has improved even more by playing alongside Jaylen Brown, who contributes 25.3 points per game on average. They are the driving force behind an offense that is now ranked second in the NBA in terms of effectiveness, behind only Sacramento.
The majority of our team is made up of the same individuals. Tatum remarked that there were one or two new players, but all of them were quite knowledgeable about the game. “So, from the very first day of training camp on, just believing each other that anytime you move the ball, it’s going to come back. ” That is simply the way we will continue to play, and we will make shots.”
Malcolm Brogdon, a newcomer who plays point guard, has emerged as one of the players who has made an immediate contribution. The player was signed as a free agent and is now heading an improved second unit. He is also giving structure late in games, which was occasionally lacking during the previous season.
Mazzulla attributes their success to the work that his players have put into putting the teaching they’ve learned into practice during actual games.
According to Mazzulla, “It’s guys knowing what we’re trying to do with our organization, with our game management.” “These are the shots that we are working so hard to achieve. The matchups that we are attempting to take advantage of as well as the spacing that we are attempting to have. It’s well-organized, and it demonstrates an impressive level of intelligence.
Additionally, the coach has faith in his players.
Mazzulla, in contrast to Udoka and even the former coach Brad Stevens, has frequently adopted a hands-off strategy whenever his squad has found themselves in a difficult situation. When his opponents go on runs, he is slow to call timeouts, which hurts the team.
The feedback he’s received from his players has been encouraging.
Brown stated that “it challenges us not only for the circumstance at hand in front of us, but also challenges us to be better down the line.” “It challenges us not only for the situation at hand in front of us,” “We’ve got a calm and collected team. Because of this, our head coach places a great deal of trust not only in his players but also in the rest of the staff to figure it out.
They have accomplished all of this despite the fact that their big man, Robert Williams, is still recovering from knee surgery that he had before the season started. It’s possible that he’ll be back soon, providing yet another facet to an already potent team.
Tatum expressed his belief that the offensive performance has improved across the board. “And then our attention to detail in reviewing film, managing those late-game offensive scenarios, and sort of being purposeful about what we want to do and who we’re trying to put in the action and other things like that,” he said. It may appear to be unrelated, but we discuss it, and we are aware of what we are attempting to accomplish.
Are you looking for the best online casino to play and earn real money? OKBET is what you’ve been looking for, and OKBET is the best fit for you! Download the OKBET app and enjoy playing, watch your favorite games and win an exciting prizes. Register Now!
