20151118-DALBOS

Taylor Snow

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BOSTON – The Boston Celtics have a unique situation occurring in their backcourt this season.

They currently possess four guards who are completely interchangeable. Four guys who flourish in any role they are asked to play, whether it’s starting or providing a spark off the bench.

We’ve all known that to be the case for Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Smart and Evan Turner. But Avery Bradley – a mainstay in Boston’s starting lineup over the last three seasons – has suddenly joined the club as well.

After suffering a calf injury in Milwaukee last week, Bradley has come off the bench during the C’s last three contests, while Smart and Thomas have teamed up as the starting backcourt duo.

Bradley has averaged 17.7 points on 49 percent shooting during that trio of games, including a first quarter to remember against Dallas on Wednesday night.

Coach Brad Stevens subbed him in for Smart at the 6:54 mark of the opening frame when the Celtics held a narrow 12-7 advantage. Bradley stretched that lead in no time, as he single-handedly outscored the Mavericks 12-2 during a one-minute and 43-second span.

They eventually blew that lead and fell to Dallas, 106-102; however, the early energy that Bradley provided off the bench struck a positive note for the third straight game.

“He’s come out great offensively,” Turner said of Bradley’s recent string of performances. “Obviously defensively he’s always been good, but offensively his shots have been going in. He’s been confident and he’s been leading us.”

Stevens believes that leadership and that skillset will be displayed by Bradley no matter what role he’s playing.

“I don’t think it matters, starting or off the bench,” Stevens said after Wednesday's game. “I just think he’s a good player. [He] came in and made a bunch of shots in a flurry tonight. He’s very capable of doing that whether he starts or not.”

It’s the same story with the other three guards.

Smart has been interchangeable at the 1 and the 2 and he has provided impactful defense whether starting or coming off the bench during his first two seasons.

Turner has spent the majority of his career as a starter, but he has been heavily relied upon in a bench role this season.

Then of course there’s Thomas, who was Boston’s ultimate scoring spark off the bench last season.

His role, however, has recently been reversed as well. The 5-foot-9 guard has started the last eight games for the C’s while averaging 20.1 PPG. That production has not varied much from the 22.3 PPG he averaged off the bench during his first three games of the season.

Now the question is, should Thomas and Smart continue as the starting guards, or should Bradley be reinserted as the starting 2? That’s an inquiry that Stevens is unsure of as well.

“I don’t know [if Bradley] will start or come off the bench as we move forward,” said Stevens. “But he played well and did a lot of good things, and if somebody else is in that role, we’ll need them to lift us like he is.”

Thomas, a guy who is used to that sixth man role, says having such interchangeability among the guards is “very valuable.”

“The more the better, I guess,” he said. “We have a lot of different guys on this team that can do different things and do it at a high level and we believe in each other.”

All four have different skillsets, as Thomas noted, but they are all very strong in certain aspects of their game, so there is great parity among them.

It’s not easy deciding who should start or not, but given that they are all talented, unselfish, motivated players, that’s not a bad problem to have at all.

cs-prove-to-be-interchangeable-at-guard-positions

C's Prove to be Interchangeable at Guard Positions

Marc D'Amico

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Boston never trailed the Mavericks Wednesday night at TD Garden.

At least until the 4:17 mark of the fourth quarter.

That’s when Deron Williams canned a 3 from right in front of Boston’s bench to put Dallas on top 94-91.

Williams hit the shot as if he was all alone in the gym hoisting up practice Js.  Maybe because that’s exactly what it looked like.

Dirk Nowitzki picked off a pass from Evan Turner and Dallas took the ball the other way with Raymond Felton leading the break.  As the C’s transitioned to defense, they somehow lost track of the Dallas' other point guard, Williams, a three-time All-Star.

Felton did not.  He saw his teammate wide open, with no Celtic within 10 feet of him, and hit him with a pass.  Williams, who had hit just four of his 10 shots on the night to that point, drained the corner 3 without a graze of the rim.

That bucket seemed to shoot life into Dallas.  The Mavs held Boston to only two field goals over the final 3:25 of the game and never relinquished their lead en route to a 106-102 win.

Avery Bradley had a hot first half.  Jared Sullinger did it all night long.

Sullinger tallied his team-leading fourth double-double of the season Wednesday night by logging 18 points and 12 boards.  He trailed Isaiah Thomas by only one point for the team high in scoring, while he and Mavs big man Zaza Pachulia tied for the game high in rebounding.

One of Sully’s buckets gave the C’s a chance down the stretch.  He canned a 3-pointer at the 3:26 mark to cut Boston’s deficit from five down to two.  Dallas, however, responded with four straight points to regain a comfortable six-point lead.

Sullinger also dished out three assists on the night.  That total trailed only Isaiah Thomas' six on the Celtics.

Brad Stevens on giving away an 18-point lead that was built during the first quarter.

keys-to-the-game-mavericks-106-celtics-102

Keys to the Game: Mavericks 106, Celtics 102

Wednesday, November 18 - Mavericks at Celtics

Pregame - Stevens Stands Pat with Starting Five for Now

BOSTON – There was a lot of mixing and matching with the Boston Celtics’ starting lineup through the first couple of weeks of the season. They sent out four different starting lineups through the first eight games as they attempted to find a rhythm.

The C’s have discovered that desired rhythm during the past five days, and have been going steady behind starters Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Smart, Jae Crowder, Amir Johnson and Jared Sullinger.

Boston has started that specific combination for the last three contests, all featuring playoff-worthy foes. It has have outscored each of those opponents by at least 15 points.

Just as important as finding the right starters is discovering the right spark plugs to come off the bench. Guys like Evan Turner, Kelly Olynyk and now Avery Bradley – who has shot 14-of-26 from the field during the last two outings – can all enter the game at any time and find an immediate groove.

Boston coach Brad Stevens will send out that same fivesome for the fourth consecutive opening tip, when they host the Dallas Mavericks at 7:30 p.m. tonight at TD Garden. He said that lineup is certainly not set in stone, but he likes what he’s seeing at the moment.

“I’m just kind of playing it by ear, playing it day-to-day,” Stevens said ahead of tonight’s opening tip. “When we first brought Avery [Bradley] back [from injury], I was the one that wanted to make sure that we didn’t overextend him and I thought the easiest way to do that would be to bring him off the bench. And then we won and played the next night and felt pretty good about it, now we’re playing the next night and feel pretty good about it and we’ll just see.”

Following the Bradley injury, Thomas and Smart have proved to be a formidable duo. The pair has a plus/minus per 100 possessions of plus-15.1 during 113 minutes of court time together this season.

Then to think they have Avery Bradley and Evan Turner – guys who have started the majority of their careers – to back them up.

“I think ultimately we probably have five starters [with] those perimeter guys and they could start any given night,” said Stevens.

The fact is the majority of the Celtics team is capable of starting on any given night.

Boston has had nine different players on the floor for the opening tip, and every one of them was qualified to do so.

However, the Celtics are in a groove at the moment, so they’ll continue to stand pat with their starting lineup for now.

draftkings-post-ups-stevens-stands-pat-with-starting-five-for-now

Draftkings Post-Ups: Stevens Stands Pat with Starting Five for Now

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BOSTON – Jae Crowder spent his first two-plus seasons in a Dallas Mavericks uniform attempting to find his identity as an NBA player.

He displayed great athleticism while in Dallas and seemed to have sky-high potential, but the young forward was buried in the rotation and saw limited court time.

That changed on Dec. 18, 2014 when he was traded to the Boston Celtics as a part of the Rajon Rondo deal.

The Celtics at the time were in need of a gritty swingman, and Crowder turned out to be the perfect player to fill that role. He quickly became a fan-favorite in Boston, earning respect by way of his hard-nosed defense and spirit-lifting personality.

Since Boston acquired him, Crowder has become one of the elite defenders in the NBA and is averaging a league-high 3.0 steals per game.  His former coach Rick Carlisle says he’s “not surprised at all” with his success.

Still, it’s shocking that one year ago at this time he was riding Dallas’ bench playing an average of just 10.6 minutes per game.

So much has since changed for Crowder. He is the only Celtic to start all 10 games this season and is averaging 30.4 minutes per game.

Tonight he will take on his former team in his new role with the C’s, and his former coaches and teammates had nothing but positive things to say as they prepared to face him.

“He was a young player that was headed for higher and higher levels in this league,” said Carlisle, who played two seasons in Boston during his playing career. “He’s a guy that’s extremely well-thought of in Dallas by both the fans and people in the organization. He’s just one of those great people any NBA team would want to have.”

Dirk Nowitzki, the only player who was with Crowder throughout his full tenure with the Mavs, also saw potential and is glad the 25-year-old is now finding his way in the NBA.

“He was a hard worker with us and he wanted to succeed really bad,” said the 13-time NBA All-Star. “He always worked on his game. He’s a smart player, he worked on his outside shot, got more consistent with that, and we already knew he’s a great defender, a tough kid… I’m happy for him.”

Chandler Parsons attested to the hard work that Crowder put in while in Dallas. The 27-year-old forward worked extensively with Crowder on how to cut and move without the ball, and noticed “he’s doing a lot better now” in that department.

“He’s always been a tough, hard-nosed, solid defender,” said Parsons. “He can shoot the ball a little bit, and an unbelievable kid, so I’m happy for the way he’s playing and I’m happy that it looks like he’s found a home here.”

Tonight the two small forwards will go nose-to-nose under Crowder’s new roof, and Parsons knows that that he will have to play conservatively around his former teammate who has been causing havoc in the passing lanes.

“You’ve just gotta be solid around him,” said Parsons. “You can’t do anything silly. You’ve gotta be for sure with every pass you make, you’ve gotta be strong with the ball and just know he has active hands.”

He added, “You know he’s gonna take chances on the passing lanes and what-not, and then offensively he’s gonna cut, he’s gonna cut back-door, he’s gonna move without the ball very well and he’s gonna get offensive rebounds, so you’ve always just gotta keep an eye on him.”

Carlisle already has his eyes set on Crowder, because preparing for him can be a nightmare for opposing defenses as well.

“He’s a guy that, it’s not like it’s plays they’re running for him, he’s just an activity guy and he gets a lot of his stuff just off of playing the game,” said Carlisle, whose Mavericks stand at 7-4. “Guys that can do that without having to have plays called for them are extremely valuable.”

Crowder has proved his value since the day he slipped on his green and white uniform. He’s discovered his NBA identity here in Boston, and he’ll show it off to his former team tonight at the Garden.

mavs-happy-crowder-has-found-identity-in-boston

Mavs Happy Crowder has Found Identity in Boston

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Here are five things to watch out for when the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks meet at 7:30 p.m. tonight at TD Garden.

The Celtics return home with a wave of momentum behind them.  The question now is, can they maintain it at TD Garden?

Boston has won five of its past six games and its last three overall.  Three of those five wins, including back-to-back victories in Oklahoma City and Houston, were attained on the road, where the C’s now stand at 3-1 on the season.  They are only 3-3 at home thus far.

The NBA’s top teams protect their home court.  Boston has not done that very well this season.  The hope is that the momentum it is riding, which was built mostly on the road, will now carry it through some wins at home as well.

Neither the Celtics nor the Mavericks have lost during the past week.  Boston has won three in a row, while Dallas has won its last four games.

The C’s last fell on Nov. 11 to the Pacers, by a score of 102-91.  Since then, they have downed Atlanta, Oklahoma City and Houston.  Those teams entered Wednesday with a combined 18-17 record.

Dallas hasn’t dropped a game since Nov. 10, when New Orleans downed the Mavs 120-105 for its first win of the season.  The Mavs have since rattled off wins against the Clippers, the Lakers, the Rockets and the 76ers.  That win over the Clippers was a resume builder, but those four opponents have combined to go only 12-31 this season.

Regardless of which team’s streak is more impressive, one of them is going to end tonight.  Only one team will walk out of TD Garden with its winning streak intact.

A preseason poll of NBA coaches probably wouldn’t have predicted that the C’s and the Mavs would both be top-10 defenses after the first three weeks of the season.  However, that’s exactly where these two teams stand heading into tonight’s action.

Boston has been stellar at the defensive end.  It ranks third in the league in defensive efficiency with a mark of 94.2.  Opponents are shooting just 42.2 percent from the field against Boston, which is the fourth-best mark in the league.

Dallas isn’t too far behind in either category.  It enters tonight’s game ranked eighth in the league in both defensive efficiency (98.4) and opponent field goal percentage (42.6).  Over its last four games, the Mavs have actually ranked fourth in the league in defensive efficiency, one spot ahead of the C’s.

It’s probably safe to assume that defense will dominate this game.  However, that does not necessarily mean this will be a low-scoring contest.  Both of these teams play with a lot of pace so we should still see a lot of points put on the board.

Tonight’s point guard matchup is quote intriguing.  Isaiah Thomas and Deron Williams bring completely different styles of play to the table.

Thomas’ game is all about speed and quickness.  At just 5-foot-9, he needs to shake free of his defenders to get his shot off.  He does so with a myriad of moves that help him fire off jumpers and get to the basket.

Williams, meanwhile, is known much more for his size.  At 6-foot-3 and more than 200 pounds, he is one of the stronger point guards in the league.  He mostly operates out of pick-and-rolls but is fully capable of posting up smaller guards like Thomas.

Keep an eye on this matchup.  It could go either way, but the numbers say Thomas’ style will win out.

On most nights, the Celtics are going to have an advantage on the perimeter.  Tonight is no exception.

Boston’s guard rotation has been top-notch this season.  The quartet of Thomas, Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley and Evan Turner has been fantastic in three major areas of the game: scoring, playmaking and defense.

The Mavs have much more star power at their guard spots but they haven’t been performing to the level of Boston’s perimeter players.  Williams, a three-time All-Star, is shooting only 41.8 percent from the field this season.  His backcourt partner, Matthews, who is coming off of a torn Achilles’ tendon, is shooting only 34.1 percent.  Devin Harris (38.1 percent) and Barea (35.6 percent) have also struggled mightily with their respective shots.

Boston’s group of guards is has shown this season that it is younger, healthier, more efficient and more diverse than Dallas’.  It should have a major advantage tonight.

watch-it-mavericks-at-celtics-3

Watch It! - Mavericks at Celtics

The Boston Celtics are simply dismantling opponents when they win while the Dallas Mavericks are doing it with defense.

The Celtics have won three straight in dominant fashion and the Mavericks have won four in a row heading into Wednesday night's matchup.

Boston (6-4) looks like one of the league's most improved teams thanks to this streak that includes victories by 106-93 over Atlanta last Friday, 100-85 at Oklahoma City on Sunday and 111-95 at Houston on Monday. All of the Celtics' wins have been by at least 13 points.

"It doesn't matter now, it's one game at a time, we've played 10 games," said coach Brad Stevens, whose team won 40 games a season ago. "So if we're in a good position after 65 or 70 then you'd look at it differently but everybody's trying to find themselves now and we've got to get a lot better too."

Dallas (7-4) is enjoying its longest win streak since January, surviving 39.5 percent shooting to beat Philadelphia 92-86 on Monday to improve to 2-0 on this three-game trip. Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points and Chandler Parsons added 20.

The Mavericks, who forced 27 turnovers Monday for their most since last November, are limiting opponents to 39.5 percent shooting in this win streak. That's helped them overcome the struggles of offseason acquisition Wesley Matthews, averaging 10.1 points on 34.1 percent shooting and going 4 for 21 in his last two games.

"We've been waiting for a game when we all kind of put it together, that's going to be a fun game when that happens," Parsons said. "But it's promising that we're still winning games, getting stops when we need to. We look forward to that game where everyone's got the hot hand with the potent offense that we all expect it to be."

Dallas continues to limit the minutes of Parsons as he recovers from knee surgery. He sat out Saturday's 110-98 victory over the Rockets before returning to play a season-high 20 minutes Monday.

"I know I'm coming out when I get to that 20-minute mark," said Parsons, who scored at least 10 points for the first time. "Hopefully extend it out in Boston and see how it feels."

The Mavericks have won five straight over the Celtics and have taken the last nine matchups with Nowitzki on the court. Nowitzki is averaging 22.3 points in those games.

Avery Bradley averaged 27.0 points in last season's two defeats to Dallas. He is averaging 17.5 points in two games since returning after missing one with a leg injury.

Isaiah Thomas has keyed Boston's win streak by averaging 22.0 points and 8.0 assists while shooting 53.2 percent. The point guard shot 31.3 percent in the three games prior to this stretch.

"Coach put me in position to be successful and the shots happened to fall," Thomas said. "I'm gonna keep shooting, I'm going to continue to have confidence in myself and my teammates have confidence in me so I'm going to keep doing my job."

The Celtics have also received a boost from Jae Crowder, who scored a season-high 16 points Monday and is averaging 10.8. Crowder will face Dallas for the second time since he was traded to Boston on Dec. 28 as part of the deal that brought Rajon Rondo to the Mavericks.

20151118‑DALBOS

C's Prove to be Interchangeable at Guard Positions

Keys to the Game: Mavericks 106, Celtics 102

Draftkings Post-Ups: Stevens Stands Pat with Starting Five for Now

Mavs Happy Crowder has Found Identity in Boston

Watch It! - Mavericks at Celtics

11/18 Game Preview Mavericks at Celtics