‘A bunch of piranhas’: Stephen A. Smith believes Celtics are team to beat in the East
"They get out on shooters better than anybody that I have seen."
Add Stephen A. Smith to a growing list of pundits who believe the Celtics could be the best team in the Eastern Conference.
On Tuesday, in a conversation that aired on First Take, Smith made the case for the Celtics as the team to beat in the East in response to former NBA guard J.J. Redick, who believes the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks still have the advantage.
“[Ime] Udoka, what he has done, you can’t say enough,” Smith said. “This guy is a legitimate top-two Coach of the Year candidate.”
Much of Smith’s case revolved around the Celtics’ defense, which allows a league-best 106.7 points per 100 possessions in non-garbage time minutes according to Cleaning the Glass. Udoka installed a switch-heavy system based on the Celtics’ impressive defensive versatility, particularly in their starting lineup.
“They are like a bunch of piranhas,” Smith said. “They switch everywhere, you have five guys, they get out on shooters better than anybody that I have seen.”
Smith went on to point out that teams like the Bucks and Heat have reason to fear the Celtics for their defensive prowess. Certainly, Giannis Antetokounmpo will get his numbers, but can the Celtics limit the rest of the Bucks? Can Tyler Herro get loose against a Celtics team that keeps the clamps on opposing guards?
Smith also noted Robert Williams’ ability to defend Bam Adebayo, as well as the addition of Derek White to the Celtics’ defense.
“In the meantime while all of that has transpired, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have elevated their level of play,” Smith said. “So I want to see it be more consistent, please don’t get me wrong, because you weren’t that way at the beginning of the season, you are flowing well over the last 30-plus games, I get all of that, the playoffs are a different beast.
“But when it comes to the playoffs, you’ve got to remember the game slows down a little bit. You don’t get as many open-court opportunities, team’s defenses are able to get back … we know this about playoff basketball. And nobody wants Boston to do that because if Boston does that, that makes that defense even more formidable.”
The Celtics certainly aren’t going to sneak up on anyone in the postseason, but they keep beating good teams anyway. The next few months will be fascinating.
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