The Boston Celtics have the NBA’s top-ranked defense after 12 games

One of the main critiques of the team was its lack of a true a star, a player whom the Celtics could rely on to take over the game when they needed it most.

The fact that they failed to do so isn’t important, especially considering how lopsided the game’s outcome was in Boston’s favor.

And the numbers back them up.

Celtics-Nets: Over in Boston last night, the Celtics posted a big win over the Nets, taking the game 120-95.

Though Stevens runs his team differently from Karl, the two teams share the same breakneck style of play, as this year’s Celtics average almost 100 possessions per game – good for fifth in the league in pace. “We’re starting to build that DNA”.

A note of caution to Celtics fans drooling about the possibility of drafting Ben Simmons or Skal Labissiere: One factor BPI can’t take into account is motivation, and other teams will have more incentive than the Nets to shut players down and lose games late in the season. I don’t think we were ready for how intense they play. Friday, they just got to witness it in person.

If Wes Matthews and Chandler Parsons can knock down a few open threes, this game could swing Dallas’ way pretty quickly.

The Nets have won 4 of the last 6 regular season games in Boston after losing the previous 10 in a row.

The Celtics have no injuries to report but Jordan Mickey, James Young, and Terry Rozier were assigned to the Red Claws for their game on Thursday night and might still be with ME, or they may be recalled. Something that the defense always needs to be aware of and on this team he’s definitely catching people off guard and getting that first that has people.

Williams then nailed two free throws, making him flawless on 30 attempts this season.

That overtime may have contributed to his 5-of-7 shooting performance during Friday night’s win. Williams added 6 assists and Pachulia brought in 12 rebounds as he continues to prove that his summer acquisition by the Mavericks was quite under-rated.

While Thomas only impacts the game in terms of scoring, Sullinger affects it in other ways. We traded Kevin Garnett for Thaddeus Young who is still helping us win.

That changed with Boston, which gave him a five-year, $35 million contract in the offseason.

Opponents are shooting 41.9 percent against Bradley this season, which is 1.1 percent less than they shoot against the rest of the league. The Raptors are playing the Lakers in LA and the Celtics need a win to keep pace or to move a game ahead.

Because Boston has a roster with such evenness, there’s no true pecking order in terms of guys who can defend at a high level and guys who can score in bunches. How high you’re drafted, and how many first-round picks you have doesn’t necessarily mean success.

The differential in hustle and effort which led to the Celtics victory can be summarized perfectly by one play which took place with just over nine minutes remaining in the third quarter. Coach Stevens was asked about that projected gain and why work so well we try to.

The Celtics are in a prime position as far as National Basketball Association teams are concerned. And unlike his first two seasons, he has enough talent to actually implement his plan and it have more than a fighter’s chance at working.

Paul Pierce spent 15 seasons with the Celtics, becoming the second leading scorer in franchise history and a champion in the process.