In blowout over Wizards, Celtics continue to take a smaller approach

A lot has happened since Boston’s first matchup with the Washington Wizards.

Nearly a month apart from their first encounter, the result of a Boston blowout victory remained constant, but the Celtics find themselves in a different spot than the 4-5 record they sported after that early November matchup.

Another constant is the team’s usage of small ball variations against the smaller Wizards, who entered the night without starting center Alex Sarr.

That first game, which was the first regular season action to showcase Boston’s smallball lineups, had six different center-less lineup combinations for a total of over 16 minutes. Josh Minott played the part of center for each combo.

On Thursday night, the Celtics used a small lineup for 19:50, and Minott again was at the center of it all, occupying a spot in all seven lineups, which ended a +4 on the night.

After the game, coach Joe Mazzulla praised Minott’s versatility within those lineups, particularly in the way he approaches different screening coverages and in his screen-setting.

“He had to do a little bit of the dirty work with screen-setting and rebounding, and I thought he did that well, and he’s continuing to grow in that area,” Mazzulla said. “That’s big for us when he’s able to execute that.”

Who’s on me? What’s the spacing? Where should I be?

Those are questions Mazzulla says that Minott constantly has to answer defensively, and he compares his work to that of teammate and fellow small ball mainstay Jordan Walsh, who has also taken strides as a defensive stopper when the Celtics shrink the lineup.

“He’s in that same category [as Walsh] of matchups being switched constantly, understanding and having full awareness that could change every play, could change every dead ball,” he said.

Walsh has developed a defensive calling card in his own right, and alongside Minott, their small lineups aren’t afraid of switching or aggressive help and recovery to block out the paint. Walsh, who set a new career-high in scoring with 22 points on a perfect 8-for-8 shooting, told reporters after the game that his focus largely keys in on what happens on the defensive side of the floor.

“When I score, I lowkey forget what happened — I’m so focused on getting back on defense,” Walsh said. “Defense always sticks with me.”

This play early in the second quarter is a good example of that one-two punch closing off the inside of the 3-point line. When Walsh takes the switch onto Kyshawn George and forces him onto his off-hand, Minott doesn’t hesitate to play off big man Tristan Vukcevic, who runs to the perimeter for a catch-and-shoot opportunity. It’s a quick steal for Anfernee Simons, and a great look at Boston’s two young wings working in tandem to force a stop.

This chasedown Walsh block in the second quarter should be a play where the aforementioned wing duo and Baylor Scheierman all deserve credit for shutting down a fast break. With Walsh and Minott in hot pursuit, Scheierman stays in front of Will Riley, takes the contact, and gives his teammates time for either to make the play. In the end, it’s a Walsh spike, and now more quick offense on the other end.

On offense, Boston’s small lineups scored a combined 56 points across their near-20 minute stint, pushing the pace with quick ball movement and early screens from Minott. In their first four-minute opening quarter stint of small ball with White/Simons/Pritchard/Gonzalez/Minott on the floor, they also placed an emphasis on pushing passes to their corner shooters.

Minott’s early screening helped Boston’s ballhandlers into favorable switches all night, but he also demonstrated an ability to finish as a roller, like in this third quarter possession where he runs to the rim off a dribble handoff as White lofts a pass between two defenders. Minott finishes with the left hand, and the Celtics continue to build what would amount to a 45-point victory.

When Neemias Queta is off the floor, smaller lineups have been a useful tool for Mazzulla, playing a hand in defending against double-big lineups like New York’s Mitchell Robinson/Karl Anthony-Towns duo on Tuesday, and against the smaller, pace-pushing Wizards on Thursday. With their wings up to the challenge, it’s becoming more and more prevalent as the Celtics move to 13-9, a far cry from that sub-.500 record they held after their first meeting against Washington.

“At the end of the day, you just have to do what gives you the best chance, whether it’s one game or segments of the game,” Mazzulla said during his pre-game press conference. “And so for us, it has upticked our offense; our layup percentage is at 40% when we are really small. You just spread guys out.”