This Defensive Stat Show Celtics Are Becoming a Real Threat

The Boston Celtics are currently third in the Eastern Conference. They’re defying most people’s preseason expectations, as the team was projected to be fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament.

Furthermore, the Celtics are steadily improving on both sides of the floor. They’ve been a top-10 offense for most of the season, and now, it would appear the defense is starting to catch up.

According to Dunks and Threes, the Celtics are now 11th in the NBA in defensive rating, one spot outside of the top-10.

Having a balance between its offense and defense is a key indicator that a team could make some noise during the postseason. The Celtics are undoubtedly on the right track, and if the team can sustain a top-10 defense for the remainder of the season, the fanbase will likely grow increasingly confident about how things could work out during the postseason.eason.

Of course, Brad Stevens could choose to give the roster an additional jolt in the coming month. The Feb. 5 trade deadline is slowly inching closer, and that could mean the Celtics search out some additional talent, with the center position being the biggest area of need.

There’s also a chance that Jayson Tatum returns from his Achilles tendon injury, which would provide the franchise with a significant boost.

Whatever happens during the playoffs, the Celtics appear to be ahead of schedule in their retooling process. A large part of that is down to Joe Mazzulla’s coaching and game plan. It won’t be long until the team is back to being considered as one of the biggest threats in the Eastern Conference.