Three video games into their season, defensive rebounding appeared like a probably deadly flaw for the Celtics.
However since being manhandled on the glass in consecutive late-October losses to New York and Detroit, Boston has gone from wretched to respectable in that necessary space.
The Celtics enter Friday evening’s matchup with the Nets ranked an uninspiring twenty seventh within the NBA in defensive rebounding price — however over the 12 video games since their 0-3 begin, they’re thirteenth. They’re additionally fourth in offensive rebounding proportion and ninth in total rebounding price throughout that span.
“Clearly, we’ve obtained a protracted option to go,” guard Derrick White mentioned Thursday. “However firstly of the yr, it appeared like we had lots longer than we do now. So I’ll say that.”
Boston was expected to struggle on the boards this season after shedding 4 of its prime 5 rebounders from 2024-25 to damage (Jayson Tatum) or offseason exits (Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet).
The group was so inconsistent there throughout the preseason that head coach Joe Mazzulla repeatedly pulled gamers from video games after they surrendered an offensive rebound. The Celtics then allowed a complete of fifty offensive boards over their first three regular-season video games, together with 21 by the Knicks and 19 by the Pistons.
Since then, although, they’ve stabilized — and their enhancements have proven within the standings. The Celtics have gained three straight and eight of their final 12. Their web ranking getting into Friday’s sport towards Brooklyn at TD Backyard ranked eighth within the league, trailing solely the Thunder, Rockets, Nuggets, Pistons, Spurs, Knicks and Timberwolves.
“We watched quite a lot of movie on what we are able to get higher at,” middle Neemias Queta mentioned. “A whole lot of instances, rebounding is all about effort and hitting first, ensuring your man doesn’t get it, go get it with two arms. Staff rebounding is the primary factor, and we’re all collectively making an attempt to make an effort for these issues to occur for us to get the ball.”
Queta, who’s averaging 8.1 rebounds per sport in his first season as an NBA starter, has performed a key position in that resurgence. Although he’s had just a few expensive lapses — most notably on Jazz middle Jusuf Nurkic’s game-winning putback on Nov. 3 — Boston’s defensive rebounding proportion and defensive ranking each plummet when its lone 7-footer is just not on the ground.
Retaining Queta wholesome will likely be very important, because the dropoff from him to his backups has been steep.
Second-string middle Luka Garza is a standout offensive rebounder — his OREB% off missed area objectives ranks within the 88th percentile for his place, per Cleansing the Glass — however has struggled on the defensive boards all through his profession (18th percentile this season). Reserve bigs Xavier Tillman and Chris Boucher have hardly performed over the past three weeks.
“(It’s about) simply ensuring you’re extra locked in within the weight room, simply making an attempt to maintain getting stronger, taking good care of your physique, getting remedy with the fellows, going and getting chilly tub periods and saunas,” mentioned Queta, who’s on tempo to greater than double his single-season profession excessive in minutes performed. “All that stuff actually provides up. We’re not even 1 / 4 of the best way into the season, and also you see quite a lot of accidents taking place within the league. You’re simply making an attempt to be on prime of your stuff as finest as you’ll be able to, and also you’ll be extra ready for the remainder of the yr.”
Jordan Walsh deserves credit score, as properly, for the work he’s finished on the glass since breaking into the rotation in early November. As of Friday, his rebounding price off opponents’ missed area objectives ranked within the 99th percentile of all NBA wings. Solely New York’s Josh Hart was greater. Walsh’s offensive rebounding price additionally ranked within the 87th percentile.
“Everyone appeared within the mirror and simply thought of making themselves higher,” Queta mentioned. “And collectively, we’re all on the identical web page with that.”
The Celtics’ enhancements will likely be examined in rematches towards the Pistons on Nov. 26 and Knicks on Dec. 2; each rank close to the highest of the league in offensive rebounding. These are a part of a stretch of 5 consecutive video games towards doubtless playoff groups that additionally consists of dates with the Magic (Sunday), Timberwolves (Nov. 29) and Cavaliers (Nov. 30).
