Celtics Stupefy Wizards

Celtics go 2-0 despite being far from perfect against the Washington Wizards

I’m at a point in my life where whenever I hear the word ‘Wizard,’ I instantly think of Harry Potter or Gandalf. Can’t help it. It’s a reflex at this point. Just happens. For the younger readers in this audience, I would assume your minds go to Waverly Place. That’s cool, too.

Despite a young Wizards roster playing their hearts out during the first half, the Celtics took their season record to 2-0. A second-half mauling saw Boston empty its bench with considerable time left in the fourth. Glorious.

The perfect use of a Stupefy charm.

Let’s dive in.

Key Notes

☘️ Tatum played the entire first quarter. It’s the second straight game he’s played all 12 opening minutes. I doubt this will become a trend, but seeing how long this experiment will last will be interesting.

☘️ Celtics’ third quarter was their best period, outscoring Washington 34-19.

☘️ Pritchard continues to be the heave master. Sucks the shot was slightly too late to beat the buzzer, but oh my, what a bucket!

☘️ The deep bench failed to impress. Between Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, JD Davison, Jaden Springer and Drew Peterson, they went 1-of-8. Davison had 3 turnovers in 8 minutes. Woof.

☘️ Neemias Queta was solid in his minutes. His activity levels caused issues for the Wizards whenever he was on the court.

☘️ Boston’s ability to get to the free-throw line was an early boost. They finished with 27 attempts at the line, compared to Washington’s 18. Boston made 16 attempts to Washington’s 6 during the first half, and 7 of them came during the 2nd quarter.

☘️ Tough night for Jrue Holiday on offense. Still, he played the connector role well and gave a good account of himself on defense.

The good, the bad and the ugly

The Celtics' start was slow. Washington came out of the gate riding Jordan Poole's hot hand. The former Golden State Warriors guard had 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting in 8 minutes of first-quarter play. Brian Keefe’s young team leaned into their youthfulness by pushing the pace on every possession.

In truth, the Celtics’ defense was questionable for the entire first half, especially when guarding in transition. Fortunately, it wasn’t all bad for Boston, I mean, they still won by 20 points. Here are some observations on the good, the bad, and the ugly.

It feels weird to look at some negatives when the team is 2-0, the reigning champions and coming off the back of another big win. But I’m a big believer in chronicling performances, so trends become more visible further down the line.

The ugly and the bad sections aren’t designed to be negative; they’re designed to track issues so we can celebrate as they fade away in the coming weeks and months.

The Ugly.

Transition defense

Washington can be a blur in the open court. With an average age akin to a kindergarten class, it should be no surprise that they’re willing to embrace a high-tempo offense. Poole’s speed, handle, and soft touch around the glass ensure he’s a valuable scorer in the open court.