The NBA season is always filled with surprises, and teams often find themselves grappling with unexpected challenges that can disrupt their plans, the Boston Celtics are certainly no exception even as successful as their start to their current campaign has been.
As we approach the one-month mark of the 2023-24 season, Bleacher Report’s NBA staff writers Grant Hughes and Dan Favale have highlighted some unforeseen problems that certain teams are currently facing in a recent analysis. The former analyst has settled on the Celtics’ persisting issues with ball movement that others have also noticed early in this season so far.
“At some point, we may need to just accept that the Boston Celtics are prone to offensive gum-ups no matter who’s on the floor or what the scheme is supposed to be,” writes Hughes.
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“You’d think the addition of Kristaps Porzingis’ spacing at center and the presence of two point guards in the starting five would have cured the stagnation that afflicted Boston for so long,” he continues.
“But you’d be wrong. The Celtics are 21st in assist percentage, way down from their fifth-place finish in 2022-23. That’s not a death knell by any stretch. Plenty of good offenses have low assist rates, and Boston is one of them at the moment. Despite so many of its buckets coming via self-creation (post-up, isolation attacks, etc.), it’s currently third overall in scoring efficiency.”
“Still, for a team that has had its legitimate championship hopes dashed by bogged-down late-game offense before, what seems like a small issue looms large,” writes Hughes.
Celtics' Jaylen Brown criticizes safety of new in-season tournament courts https://t.co/4IHv94lhYt pic.twitter.com/4ZuIShcfmo
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 18, 2023
“We probably shouldn’t overlook the fact that Boston has lost four rotation pieces — Marcus Smart, Grant Williams, Robert Williams III, and Malcolm Brogdon — and is playing two new starters (Porzingis and Jrue Holiday) alongside holdovers Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White,” suggests the B/R analyst.
“It may only be a matter of time until this revamped group learns each other’s tendencies and the ball starts flying around more often. Most likely, the lack of passing won’t matter for this absurdly talented Boston squad during the regular season.”
“But it would be easier to trust the Celtics in the playoffs if they prove they can get the ball moving more frequently during the year,” writes Hughes.
Ex-Celtic Marcus Smart on adapting to Grizzlies life, watching his former team excel https://t.co/g3RPaTCp05 pic.twitter.com/bhkboBnjap
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 18, 2023
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