The Boston Celtics Are Showing Stylistic Versatility To Begin Playoffs

There are many pleasant features of playoff basketball.

Sure, not every game will be classified as ‘beautiful’ with the amount of physicality that’s allowed compared to the six-month regular season – by the way, are we sure that’s good for the sport if there’s no semblance of consistency there? That’s a larger conversation.

One of the best parts of the postseason, though, is watching how many counters a team has when they are pressured. How does a team respond when their favorite style of attack isn’t on the table?

The Boston Celtics reminded us of that while dispatching the Orlando Magic in Game 5, advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals and buying themselves a few days of rest.

Boston completely flipped the script and answered the call. What would happen if a team was dedicated to keeping Boston away from their favorite shot diet? They would be in trouble, right?

Boston shot 80% at the rim during their gentleman’s sweep, which shouldn’t be too much of a surprise considering they finished third in restricted area efficiency during the regular season. Also throw in the fact Orlando’s most-used lineups included 6-foot-10 Wendell Carter Jr., who most perimeter forces don’t fear on drives, and the formula easily pointed to Boston exposing the Magic’s weakness.

But there was a reason Carter, the Magic’s center, defended fewer shots at the rim in this series than Paolo Banchero, their superstar wing. A significant chunk of Boston’s gameplan focuses on hunting big men (or smaller guards) on switches, attacking favorable matchups with the idea of drawing two defenders on the ball. From there, Boston trusts their movement and sharing out of those double teams.

By occupying the opposing big man on the perimeter, the Celtics are able to negate the rim protection. Meaning, if there’s dribble penetration, the ones helping in the paint are often wings that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are confident finishing against.

Tatum and Brown are a handful to stop when they’re attacking downhill, and this series highlighted a level of maturity for both of them. There was no settling. There was no stopping short on their drives. The Celtics’ two stars generated 73 free throw trips to 166 shot attempts. That’s a ratio of .440, monumentally better than their .295 regular season rate.

Even after winning a title and following it with a successful 61-win season to boot, they are still demonstrating growth. And that’s why they are still the most dangerous team in the East.

Plus, they just dispelled the notion of being a one-trick pony.

Remember, these are the same Celtics who smashed the NBA record for 3-point frequency in a single season. They attempted 50.1% of their shots from deep (excluding garbage time possessions). It was nearly seven percentage points higher than second place and 11 percentage points more than league average.

Logic would suggest that’s their path to victory in every matchup.

Considering the full context of Boston’s identity – one that Joe Mazzulla is extremely proud of – you could easily argue the Magic did their job in this series. Orlando held the defending champions to a 3-point frequency of 36.6%, a number far below expectation.

Anyone looking at the statistical breakdown through a neutral lens would estimate Orlando taking this series the full distance, or at least forcing a Game 6 in Boston, if the outside shooting discrepancy wasn’t out of control.

Well, there goes that narrative.

It does appear the Celtics are capable of throttling opponents if they are forced to adjust, or if defensive pressure makes them slightly uncomfortable. Boston just won a five-game series in which they attempted the same number of threes (156) as their opponent.

They did so by attacking the paint, playing with intentionality, and taking advantage of the Magic’s weakside help defenders mostly being undersized.

The Celtics have won 23 of their last 28 playoff games dating back to the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, the series that will forever be remembered as the weirdest roller-coaster and near-comeback. Boston stumbled out of the gate versus Miami and dropped the first three games, only to win three straight and force a decisive Game 7, which they ultimately lost by double-digits.

Since Game 4 of that series two years ago, Boston’s 23-5 playoff record stacks up nicely with a few of the NBA’s legendary dynasties and dominant East powerhouses:

• Curry-Durant Warriors (2017-18): 25-3
• Kobe-Shaq Lakers (2000-02): 25-3
• Bad Boy Pistons (1988-90): 24-4
• Jordan-Pippen Bulls (1996-97): 24-4
• Jordan-Pippen Bulls (1990-92): 23-5
• LeBron-Kyrie Cavaliers (2016-17): 23-5
• Tatum-Brown Celtics (2023-25): 23-5

Now, Boston awaits the winner of New York and Detroit’s intense back-and-forth battle. While the Knicks hold a 3-2 series lead, only five total points separate them after 240 minutes of action.