Boston Celtics: Perimeter defense
The Celtics are 18th in defensive rating, allowing 106.3 points per 100 possessions, and much of it comes from the perimeter.
Nobody expects Isaiah Thomas to be a defensive stalwart, but opponents are hanging 109.7 points per 100 on Boston with him on the court. The little guy ranks dead last among point guards in defensive real plus-minus and will be a matchup liability against any playoff point guard.
That’s unsurprising, but what is surprising is Avery Bradley’s 108.7 defensive rating. Bradley is currently out with an Achilles injury but will return soon. Normally a stout defender, Bradley’s -1.50 defensive RPM should be cause for worry. If the Celtics end up playing, say, the Cavs in the playoffs, it will probably be Bradley matching up against Kyrie Irving while Thomas slips onto a less threatening shooting guard.
If Bradley has trouble in such a matchup, it will spell trouble for Boston. Marcus Smart, Jae Crowder and Amir Johnson can cover for a lot of mistakes — as can Thomas’ scoring ability — but come playoff time, teams will attack the Celtics with more precision.
If their perimeter defense doesn’t fix itself, it could become the glaring flaw that sinks Boston.