The Boston Celtics began their season with some adversity. The team fought to reach .500 and is looking to hold onto a positive record as the year progresses. There have been many stellar performances by Celtics players already this season. A few qualifiers for these standout performances are: scoring efficiency, shot creation for teammates, and defensive capabilities. Here are the Celtics’ top three performances from November.
The Boston Celtics’ Top 3 Performances From November
Number 3
Derrick White found himself all over the box score in a fantastic win over the Detroit Pistons on Thanksgiving Eve. His efficient shooting numbers, 7-13 from the field, 6-11 from three-point range, and one hundred percent from the free throw line, made this an easy choice. Some could say that Jaylen Brown deserves this spot for this particular win; however, Brown’s turnovers and poor efficiency are holding him back here. White stands out due to his defensive tenacity, to pair with his 27-point night. He posted seven rebounds, three steals, and a block with only two turnovers, not to mention his three assists. Whites positive assist-to-turnover ratio, efficient scoring, and aggressive defense earned this slot in the top three performances.
Number 2
Payton Pritchard is next up in this ranking. The undersized guard and three-point specialist has had a tremendous month of basketball in November. And, he wrapped up the holiday weekend with a staggering 42-point performance in a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Pritchard was certainly on fire from deep range. He specifically scored an efficient six of 11 from the field, and only missed seven shots in the whole game. This performance concludes a stellar month for Pritchard, who averaged nearly nineteen points per game and shot 41.2 percent from three in November. Pritchard definitely deserves this spot in the top three performances, with this game against Cleveland standing out from the rest.
Number 1
The top performance in this month’s ranking goes to none other than Jaylen Brown. Brown has had to carry the Celtics this season as a result of the injury to Jayson Tatum that occurred in last year’s playoffs. Undoubtedly, many performances could have landed Brown in a number of spots on this ranking. From his 41-point night in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves to an efficient 35-point night in a dismantling of the Washington Wizards. Yet, it was his efficiency and playmaking against the Orlando Magic that landed him in the top spot.
Another 35-point night from Brown helped the Celtics earn a win over Orlando in their third matchup of the season. In only thirty-seven minutes, his 33.3 percent from deep could have held him back; however, shooting 14-26 from the field makes up for the difficulty from deep. The deciding factor to place Brown ahead of Pritchard’s 42-point monstrosity was his assist-to-turnover ratio. Brown, who has had turnover issues throughout his career, listed eight assists with only one turnover. It could be said that his exceptional play carried over the next several games, as he earned a triple-double and ended a 13-game winning streak in the same week. Thus, Jaylen Brown holds the Boston Celtics’ number one spot in these top three performances from November basketball.
Honorable Mentions
Several individual performances stood out but fell just short of qualifying for this “Top Three” list. Anfernee Simons scored twenty-five points in only twenty-three minutes in a win over Orlando, after losing two nights prior. Brown’s turnovers and inefficient scoring in a win over Detroit make it difficult to place him on this list. However, a triple-double over last season’s one-seeded Cleveland team could say otherwise. White had tremendous performances throughout November and could warrant multiple slots in this ranking.
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