The Celtics walked into their matchup with the Rockets riding a five-game winning streak, but the night ended with a 109-93 loss and a much uglier picture of where things stand. Boston’s offense stalled, its overall identity slipped, and even Jayson Tatum couldn’t drag the group back into rhythm. Everyone on Joe Mazzulla’s roster finished under 20 points.
After the game, Mazzulla pointed to one specific issue that went beyond the scoring line: the way Boston is using Mitchell Robinson. The Celtics did edge Houston on the glass, 38 rebounds to 36, but their head coach made clear that the bigger concern is how the team is trying to maximize Robinson’s value.
“I would say for his (Mitchell Robinson) offensive rebounding impact, we have him a little bit further away from the rim, setting screens and playmaking for us on the perimeter as part of our offense. I think that has a little bit to do with it,” the Celtics head coach declared.
That usage has shown up in Robinson’s numbers. He is averaging just 1.8 offensive rebounds and 4.5 total boards, a steep drop from last season’s 8.8 rebounds per game and 4.2 offensive rebounds. His ORB% has also fallen from a career-high 23.9% to 10.6% over the past few games.
Boston’s team numbers still show some strength on the offensive glass, with a 28.9% ORB% that ranks 11th in the NBA. But the defensive rebounding has been a different story. The Celtics are down at 69% there, which leaves them 27th in the league.
Tatum and the rest of the Celtics clearly need more scoring, but Mazzulla’s comments made it plain that rebounding is the immediate problem. Robinson was brought in to help solve that issue, and so far, he hasn’t delivered the impact Boston needs.
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What makes this one worth watching from Houstons side is the uncertainty around the interior rotation, which has been a steady part of how the Rockets want to play. Minnesota is also carrying a questionable tag on Terrence Shannon Jr. with a left hip contusion, but the bigger issue for Houston is how much size it can count on once the game actually tips. [Read more 🡒]