Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
With a shortage of bigs and a roster that’s long on long-range shooters, it should come as no surprise that the Celtics will be looking to bomb away from 3-point land a lot this season.
[…] In Boston’s first two preseason games, the Celtics took 24 3-pointers in each.That is a significant departure from the 3-point shooting under his predecessor, Doc Rivers.
[…] “We have stretch fours [power forwards] and fives [centers] that shoot the ball pretty well,” Bradley said. “So I think we are going to shoot a lot of threes this year.”
CSNNE: Look for more 3 pointers from C’s this season
Long-time Celtics fans will remember Jim O’Brien as the three-ball friendly head coach of the C’s for the better part of four seasons starting in 2000-01. The Celtics were the leagues biggest chuckers under Obie, leading the NBA in three-point attempts in his three full seasons in Boston, and finishing third in the season he left the team.
So maybe the twinge I’m feeling when I see “we have stretch fours [power forwards] and fives [centers] that shoot the ball pretty well” is just the Antoine Walker PTSD kicking in (he shot 1830 three pointers in three years under O’Brien… easily the most of any NBA player over a three-year stretch ever). Still, the thought of a three-happy team will just conjure up thoughts of the O’Brien Celtics chucking over 6,000 threes under his watch.
The corner three has become de rigueur in the NBA lately. It’s the highest of the low percentage shot and it’s also the sneakiest of them all. With all the action in front of the defense, those corners become blind spots, so good ball movement will naturally pull defenders away from the corners and make it easier for someone to slyly slip behind everyone for a good look. Stevens was even once heard in practice saying something to the effect of if it’s not a corner three, it doesn’t matter.
And the fact is, the Celtics don’t have much choice at the moment. It’s not like they’re the Stan Van Gundy Magic, ignoring a giant center in order to chuck from the outside. The Celtics don’t exactly have a low post threat. As much as Vitor Faverani and Kelly Olynyk can work in the post, that’s not a go-to play. The Celtics will have to rely on a simple, ball-movement offense (especially before Rondo returns) that is based on making the defenders work as hard as possible for as long as possible, then taking advantage of whatever gaps or mistakes are made. The three will be a part of that attack because that’s just going to be a by-product of that kind of offensive approach.
So prepare yourself for the rain to fall, Eddie Palladino. If these guys get hot, you’ll have a lot of “[insert name here] FOR THREEEEEEEEE” to yell this season.
Related links: Herald: Celtics try to spread the floor
The rest of the links:
Herald: Lots on grieving Bradley’s plate | Globe: Rondo assumes pseudo-coaching role while sidelined | 5 takeaways from preseason game #2 | CSNNE: Pressey continues to impress at point | Grades through 2 preseason games | ESPN Boston: Faverani’s game translating to NBA | Practice: Programming the defensive DNA | WEEI: Stat-man: The Phil Pressey factor | Vitor Faverani update: Still the best
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