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Now, though, as the season nears its midway point, the Celtics are improbably forging an identity as a high-volume, high-percentage, 3-point-bombing team.
After making 18 of 36 attempts in their 117-108 win over the Pelicans on Saturday night, the Celtics ranked seventh in the NBA with a 36.9 percentage from long range.
“When guys are shooting with confidence and knocking them down, makes and misses are contagious,” point guard Isaiah Thomas said. “When we’re making them, it seems like everybody’s feeling it and doing what they’re supposed to do. We’re at a good place right now.”
The Celtics have made 436 3-pointers, the third-highest mark in the NBA through Saturday. They had even made more than the Golden State Warriors.
So, if personnel shifts were just minor, what has led to this seemingly major change? There are several explanations. First and foremost is the presence of Horford. In addition to the fact that he is a capable 3-point shooter, his skilled passing and ability to space the floor create openings where they might not have existed before.
The Celtics have surprised the NBA with their effective three-point shooting. Their 28th ranked three-point shooting percentage from last year (33.5 percent) has improved to seventh. They finished 12th in three pointers made last season and now rank third. Internal improvement and the addition of Al Horford represent the primary factors for this leap.
The shooting success has been on display over the past seven games, with the team going 6-1 and shooting a scorching 44.9 percent from deep. During this stretch, Jae Crowder shot 51.1 percent on 35 three-point attempts, Marcus Smart shot 48.1 percent on 27 attempts, and Gerald Green shot 62.5 percent on 16 attempts.
Brad Stevens has tried to incorporate high volume three point shooting since he arrived in Boston. Over the past two seasons, they have coupled their high volume three-point attempts with one of the league’s worst three-point percentage. But this season, their strong three-point shooting is among the primary reasons the Celtics sit seventh in offensive rating, averaging 111 points per 100 possessions.
Their defense still must improve. While they finished fourth in defensive rating last year, they currently rank 19th, allowing 108.6 points per 100 possessions. Many projected the Celtics would have the league’s top defense for the 2016-2017 season, and while their slow defensive start seemed like an aberration, the numbers through December barely show an improvement. They haven’t held an opponent to under 100 points since their December 16th victory against Charlotte.
Page 2: Where the February 23rd Trade Deadline is Fast Approaching
There are issues on which Danny Ainge and staff must be certain, to the degree it’s possible. Life will come at them fast as Feb. 23 approaches, and it’s imperative that the Celtics are able to gauge what their chessboard will look like even two or three moves after each possible roster option. As well, they must know how the pieces will align if they do nothing and wait for outside forces such as the draft lottery to act upon them.
With the trade deadline just one-and-a-half months away, Danny Ainge and the Celtics front office must make key decisions on how they want to improve the 2016-2017 roster and whether they should part with future assets. In addition to trades, Bulpett mentions how the team will be considering extensions for Bradley and Thomas, the potential ramifications of using the Nets pick to select a point guard, and if Ante Zicic should be a rotation player for 2017-2018.
NBA trade rumors are heating up. In addition to the Kyle Korver trade to Cleveland, Paul Millsap and Jimmy Butler have been floating around as potential trade targets. With all of its trade assets, Boston will be at the center of every major trade rumor, a familiar position for this team.
But the team seems content standing pat. During his appearance on the Celtics Beat Podcast, Celtics Director of Player Personnel Austin Ainge said that “he likes the team,” and want’s to see what this group can accomplish when fully healthy. Additionally, the Celtics feel confident they can land another free agent this offseason with their projected $40 million of cap space.
The team could use help with rebounding and one-on-one scoring, but the front office will not sacrifice future assets for marginal improvement. And if a move will significantly eat into cap space and affect their chances to land a top free agent, Danny will not pull the trigger.
But if the Celtics fail to win a playoff series this April, there will suddenly be questions about the team’s long-term approach. A second round or eastern conference finals appearance is the next logical hurdle for this Brad Stevens/Isaiah Thomas-led group. But if they cannot get out of the first round, the long-term approach of the front office will be in question, and Brad Stevens may even get a healthy dose of criticism. Either way, trade rumor season will be fun (…and potentially frustrating).
And Finally…
Coach Nick at BBALLBREAKDOWN did an extended analysis of the Celtics defense. In a bit of a surprise, he pins much of the team’s defensive disappointment on Al Horford:
Al Horford recently made comments that he does not consider himself a center, and he’s increasingly indicated that his preferred position is power forward. In this video, Horford’s inability to stay with the more mobile forwards has contributed to the Celtics defensive struggles. Coach Nick also highlights Kelly Olynyk’s defensive strengths, and suggests that Brad Stevens should use the lineup of Smart/Bradley/Crowder/Johnson/Olynyk more often.
The Rest of the Links:
MassLive: IT: ‘This is the best offensive team I’ve played for’ | Ante Zizic’s Strong Euroleage Play
CSNNE: Week in Review, Upcoming Preview
Fox Sports: 5 Celtics Trade Targets
Boston Herald: Jae Crowder Upset Gripe turned into Racial Commentary
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