Three Leaf Clover: Pritchard and Hauser are answering all the questions

I don’t wish to be hyperbolic, however the Celtics are actually good. In actual fact, they’re closing in on being among the finest Celtics groups ever. In the event that they win 62 video games, which is a Mitt Romney-esque Conservative-ish projection, that might tie them for the fifth most wins in Celtics historical past. In the event that they handle 64 wins, they’d be 4th. Stars alone don’t drive a crew to that sort of success, so at the moment we’re speaking bench.

Stat of the Week: +11.9 web score

Coming into the season, the Celtics bench had questions. Possibly not as many as 50 Cent, however followers and analysts had been rightfully skeptical in regards to the bench’s capability to contribute to high-level basketball (exterior of Al Horford, who’s extra like a sixth starter and excellent in most each method). The 2 poster boys of this exterior doubt had been Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser.

Each had been coming off up-and-down seasons the place they waxed and waned from the lineup, in Pritchard’s case principally waned, and noticed little or no motion within the NBA Playoffs. Their weaknesses had been bandied about continuously. Can they defend? Can they do something aside from shoot? Are they athletic sufficient?

On the time, these questions had been honest, however they missed the purpose, blinded to what really issues. Who cares what the reply to every query is individually; what actually mattered was whether or not Pritchard and Hauser might contribute positively. The way of that contribution is in any other case irrelevant as long as it brings a profit when they’re on the courtroom. Properly, these two have answered that with a convincing sure.

In actual fact, the Celtics are about 2 factors per 100 possessions higher with Sam and Payton on the courtroom than off.

Context is clearly vital right here. They play a lot of their minutes with Jayson Tatum and matching-up with different bench gamers. Tatum has lengthy carried bench heavy items to absurd web rankings (it’s additionally a motive why Jaylen Brown’s on/off differential and superior stats lag behind his precise affect).

Even accounting for context, Pritchard and Hauser have been a convincing success off the bench. It could profit the Celtics in the event that they performed groups to a draw whereas on the courtroom collectively, permitting the starter heavy items to dominate (which they do). However that’s not what’s occurring. The starters are bludgeoning groups like a mid-prime Robert Baratheon, after which Pritchard, Hauser, and Al are available in and begin raining from deep, like Daenarys on her dragon, and outscore opponents at a good larger price. Simply have a look at the top-10 3-man lineups for the Celtics. It’s affected by Hauser and Pritchard.

Have Pritchard and Hauser answered all of the preseason questions on their video games? No, however they’ve answered the one one which issues.

X’s and OOOOHHhhhhs: Timeless Al Horford

It’s legitimately unimaginable what Al Horford is doing defensively at his age. I’m allowed to discuss Al like he’s aged as a result of I’m a lot youthful than him, nearly a complete 9 months youthful in actual fact. Horford has lengthy been among the finest, and possibly most underrated, defensive gamers within the league, and that’s holding true this season.

As he’s aged, the best way he performs protection has modified although. He’s now not the swap all the pieces large he was underneath Ime Udoka or Brad Stevens. However the athletic decline has coincided with one of many smartest facilities ever studying the sport at a good larger stage. Al’s BBIQ is like Vince Carter dunking on Frederic Weis: simply if you assume he’s reached the height, he retains on climbing. He helps on drives earlier than the ballhandler even is aware of the place he’s going.

The second Coby White takes a left-hand dribble, Al floats all the way down to the baseline and cuts off the drive. Then, he’s instantly again to Vucevic forcing him to swing it. This isn’t the livid protection of Marcus Good endlessly flying round. It’s the protection of a person that is aware of what’s occurring earlier than it does.

That’s to not say Al is incapable of transferring his ft. He nonetheless can, but it surely’s actually his understanding of house, and his inch good data of how far he can sag off and nonetheless contest that’s holding him elite. He provides Lavine loads of house right here, however Al is at all times underneath management, nearly baiting Lavine to attempt him on the rim. He does. It doesn’t work.

Al is so good at studying the sport, so fast to grasp what an offense is making an attempt to do, that he may simply go full-Brady on us and play into his mid-40s.

Non-basketball Stuff of the Week: West Virginia’s crew

I dwell in Morgantown, West Virginia, which is a reasonably unremarkable place all issues thought of. It’s main declare to fame is being the house of West Virginia College. Morgantown, and West Virginia basically, basically had zero ties to the Boston Celtics, after which Joe was promoted to move coach. If you’re one way or the other unaware, or don’t care, Mazzulla spent half a decade in Morgantown enjoying at WVU.

West Virginians, and WVU followers, are a loyal individuals. “As soon as a Mountaineer, At all times a Mountaineer” isn’t only a platitude, it’s an oath. And West Virginia beloved Joe when he was at WVU. He was precisely the kind of scrappy, hardworking underdog that West Virginians see themselves as. It doesn’t harm that he pocketed John Wall and dropped 17 within the Elite 8 both.

As a result of a Mountaineer is the top coach of the Boston Celtics, Joe Mazz has turned the Celtics into West Virginia’s crew. I’ve pals that haven’t watched an NBA recreation in years asking me if I caught the Celtics final night time. It’s a collision of my two houses, Morgantown and Mass, that I didn’t see coming. Joe may not be a local son of West Virginia, however similar to me, he’s an adopted one, and West Virginians love their youngsters unconditionally.