The NBA playoffs are a marathon in their own right. So I knew the tide was going to shift because they were going to continue to shoot threes, and if we didn’t play at a level of shooting threes and getting offensive rebounds and taking care of the ball, that was going to cost us.” Fatigue setting in “It was because we were getting layups, and they are a very analytically sound team. “We were scoring, but it wasn’t because we were making shots. “I actually was more nervous in the beginning of the game because we shot less threes, and they were shooting more,” Mazzulla said following Boston’s loss to the Nets on March 3. That being said, it doesn’t seem like Mazzulla has any plans to curtail Boston’s green light from deep. So far this season, the C’s are 25-0 when shooting at least 40 percent from 3-point range.īut when those shots aren’t connecting, this Celtics offense has a tendency to grind to a halt. Hit their shots outside the arc, and they’re on a clear path to victory. It should come as no surprise that their offensive rating over that same stretch has dipped down to 113.7 (16th overall in the league).īoston’s game plan on offense is pretty cut and dry. Since the All-Star Break, the Celtics have dropped to 15th in the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage (36.8 percent). But Boston has been marred in a cold streak (or perhaps a return to equilibrium) for some time now. The Celtics were buoyed earlier this season when just about every player in their rotation was sinking their shots from 3-point territory. Yes, the Warriors’ dynasty was built upon that hot shooting, but any potential regression tends to get negated when you’re gifted with arguably the two most talented sharpshooters in NBA history.
Still, a team so reliant on that type of shot can run into some trouble when those numbers inevitably begin to dip over an extended stretch of action. As of Tuesday night, Boston ranks seventh in the NBA with a 37.7 shooting percentage from 3-point range. That high volume of shots beyond the arc invites plenty of risk, but the Celtics have made the most of their multiple volleys from deep. The Celtics currently rank second behind the Warriors in both 3-point attempts per game (42.1) and 3-pointers made per contest (15.8). With Mazzulla at the helm, the Celtics have embraced the “live by the 3, die by the 3” mantra.
A potential regression in 3-point shooting With the NBA Playoffs just five weeks away, let’s dive into a few of these extended woes. But there are still some concerning trends that have followed Boston over this extended malaise.
Mazzulla’s faith in his team clearly hasn’t been shaken. “Zero,” Mazzulla noted when asked about his concern with the Celtics following a 2OT loss to the Knicks on Sunday. Still, even during this most recent lull, Boston’s head coach hasn’t exactly sounded the alarms.
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