The Boston Celtics have the second best ranked defense in the NBA this season, holding a 110.6 defensive rating and also rank first in defensive rebounds per game (36.5), blocks per game (6.5), and opponents points off turnovers (14.0).

Head coach Joe Mazzulla emphasized the importance of defense during training camp and the offseason. Jaylen Brown made a commitment to himself to make NBA All-Defense this season, also saying his teammates are capable of doing the same. Derrick White and Jrue Holiday are also the best defensive backcourt in the league. Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis are great defenders as well.

Boston’s entire starting lineup take pride in defense and holding their own on that end of the court to support the team. Mazzulla says that his best players playing defense is what separates the Celtics from the rest of the league:

“Our teams play defense. I think if you look around the league, one of the things that separates us, and there’s a few other teams, is the best players play defense. That’s the only thing I care about. They take pride in it, willing to work at it everyday. Willing to put in a defensive system that has adjustments, that has philosophies and I think that’s the most important thing. That’s what I care about.”

The Celtics have more recently been utilizing different defenses, going from man to various zone schemes, sometimes transforming within the same play. It all depends on the flow of the game and the situation of a game for when Mazzulla switches things up.

Follow us on Twitter @CelticsFiles

Follow me on Twitter @Trombino20

Photo Credit: Nathaneial S. Butler, NBAE Getty Images