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This season’s defensive play by the Boston Celtics, is it better than their 17th banner defensive style?
Yes, by miles! Stating their defensive dominance in the 2008 championship run, they had allowed only 99.8 points per 100 possessions in the regular season, (almost 6 points below the league’s average) and on their way to the finals, they held the Hawks, Cavs, Pistons and Lakers to well below their scoring averages.
Boston defence!
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However, with their veterans aged and with the 2008 showstopper James Posey out of the Celtic bench, can the Celtics put up another dominating defensive display?
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Well, we know it will have to be a defensive display foremost, that is, after all the Celtics’ bread and butter for this season. And the postseason numbers sure tell as much. Their defensive average is 96.2 points per 100 possessions, and it has only improved in the playoffs.
Lets not forget the fact that Celtic defense stifled the top 2 three-point shooting teams in the league(Cavs and Magic). Individually, they have held the Heat to more than 11 points per 100 possessions below their scoring average, the Cavs to almost 8 and the Magic to 9. Speaking qualitatively, they have been chasing their very own defensive best, and have yet to fail. But lets not forget the fact that the Lakers have been on a roll of their own offensively.
Lakers have been firing on all cylinders in these playoffs, shooting 50% field goal percentage and 119 points per 100 possessions against the Jazz and Suns.But the Utah and Phoenix defenses were several notches below Boston’s. So, the Lakers have yet to be truly tested against a razor-sharp D, and what better platform than the NBA Finals with their most storied rivals. Its like the best offensive and the best defensive teams have come alive in these playoffs and a when these teams go head to head, what a feast for the audience!
A word of caution though, both the teams have their positives and negatives, but if the Celtics can duplicate their 2008 Finals stellar defense, or even come close, they might soon be raining that coveted 18th banner.
