Throughout the Boston Celtics' three preseason games so far, they've shone on the defensive side of the ball. Joe Mazzulla's team has become incredibly active in attacking the passing lanes and forcing live-ball turnovers through some stellar point-of-attack defense, and when rotating over to pressure ball-handlers. Furthermore, the Celtics' rim protection has been running at a high level, especially when a roaming shot blocker is operating on the weak side.
There's a lot to like about how the Celtics are operating on defense ahead of the new season, especially as they use that activity to fuel a higher-tempo offense. With the additions of Mitchell Robinson and Paul George this summer, it was clear Mazzulla could tweak his system, and early indications suggest that tweak will benefit the Celtics on both ends of the floor.
In a recent YouTube video, Boson Sports Journal's Jack Simone broke down some of the more intricate details behind what's making the Celtics so successful on the defensive side of the ball. He especially honed in on Boston's activity in the passing lanes and how the Celtics are looking to generate run-out opportunities off opponent mistakes.
You can watch the full video by clicking on the embedded video below.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: The Boston Celtics are hitting the ground running on defense