“Jaylen has to become a lockdown defender for us," Brad Stevens said on the Vertical Podcast with Chris Mannix, earlier this summer. "That's where, as you go into an offseason and you are an individual player, there's a ton of things that you want to get better at, and there's a ton of things you want to add to your game. But ultimately, when you get back to your team, it's what do you do that's different to make your team unique to give yourself the best chance of adding value to winning. We need him to become that."
If one were to add up the total height measured in inches of last year's squad and divide by 15, how much taller on average do you think this year's squad will be? Surely, anyone searching to identify the biggest (pun intended) differences between the two teams would need to count overall height as one of them. IT, of course, was 5-9, and is now being replaced by someone six inches taller. But it is easy to forget that IT's backcourt mate last year was 6-2 because Avery Bradley was such an outstanding defender.
Nonetheless, as the old adage goes, you can't teach height, and as good as Bradley was, he was sometimes forced to guard much taller forwards. That won't happen to this year's squad. The closest thing you have to Avery Bradley in terms of stature on this year's team is Marcus Smart (I refuse to believe Terry Rozier will see any time guarding 3s, and Shane Larkin will be used exclusively as a 1). Smart is 6-4, and much more of a physical presence than Bradley, having spent a decent chunk of his career guarding 3s, 4s, and even the occasional 5.
Smart is now the Celtics' low-end defender in terms of height. As Abdel Nader recently observed, Boston has "like six or seven wings who are 6-6 or taller." The importance of this difference can't be overstated. Instead of Bradley and Smart being forced to guard the other team's much taller wings (and typically best player) for indefinite periods, the Celtics will now have an entire stable of guys who can be used interchangeably.
Gordon Hayward, Marcus Morris, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Daniel Theis, Semi Ojeleye, Guerschon Yabusele, and Abdel Nader.
That's eight players.
Last year?
Count them however you want, but let's be honest. Roster space was being consumed by the likes of Amir Johnson, Kelly Olynyk, and Tyler Zeller who couldn't guard a wing if their lives depended on it. Even Jonas Jerebko was typically challenged when the wing he was guarding had even the slightest bit of quickness and mobility. Gerald Green? James Young? They score points for height, but not for stellar defense. Meanwhile, six-foot-eight Marcus Morris, by some statistical measures, is the best LeBron defender in the league (though, admittedly, it's hard to play defense from a jail cell). If several of the other wings turn into more than capable defenders, the quality of defensive upgrade will be noticeable.
And then, of course, there is the point guard position.
Do we really think Kyrie Irving will pass up the chance to become a two-way player? If he moved to Boston to evolve as a player and reach his potential, few would say he accomplishes this goal unless he starts to play better D, especially when we all know the real goal Kyrie has set is to become historically great.
That's a lot of potential defensive upgrades Boston added to the roster.
Thus, as you are contemplating the ways Boston's roster may have improved over the summer, don't discount the very real possibility that Boston's defense will markedly improve as well.
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