Episode 996: Mitchell Robinson and Neemias Queta Already Look Amazing

Yeah, this was a game the Celtics shot, what, 29, 28% from three? Not a very elite sniper type performance from a Celtics team that has, for the large part, lived and died by the three for the last three seasons.

They won.

This is the type of game and the type of performance, and you can take last game too, that I have been begging for.

Controlling the things that you can control.

The Celtics, the biggest takeaway in this game, it remains the defense.

They stole the ball 16 times from Charlotte.

And Charlotte did not play Kobe White.

They did not play Kon Knipple.

So those are two important offensive pieces for that team, right? But nonetheless, Derrick White, four steals.

Paul George continues to be disruptive.

Mitchell Robinson had a couple big deflections too.

They just have a knack for being annoying for other teams to deal with.

And I'm really looking forward to see how that translates this year, what they can do with that, how that can make them reach the best of their abilities.

Yeah, and it feels like 16 doesn't even do it justice, right? Like I remember looking down at the box score midway through the first quarter, even after the first quarter ended and seeing like, oh, they had like three or four steals.

And I'm thinking, how is it possible? It feels like they've deflected the ball on every possession.

Like this defense is truly suffocating.

And I know we talked about it a lot in the first videos.

We won't, you know, go crazy in this one, but it's just, it looks really good.

Paul George is an unbelievable defensive player.

Like he is truly a perfect fit in this style.

And it feels like this is the defensive style the Celtics wanted to play last season, but they didn't really have the personnel.

And now they have a chance to do it this season, which is going to be very fun to watch.