Mazzulla: Celtics need to play with confidence when…

Mazzulla: Celtics need to play with confidence when shots aren’t falling

The Boston Celtics are one of the most prolific shooting teams in the NBA, and the 3-point shot has been a major weapon for head coach Joe Mazzulla on the offensive end. Consistency, however, has been an issue for the Celtics.

Boston ranked second in the league in shots from 3 in the entire NBA and connects on 37.7% of shots from deep. Things get a little more troublesome for the Celts in parsing between game outcomes. The Celtics are No. 2 in shots from 3 during wins, launching 42.1 3-point attempts per contest. In those games, Boston shoots 40.5%, good for the No. 6 rank in the NBA.

Buy Celtics Tickets

Losses, however, are a different story.

Nagging injuries and other issues have kept Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and Robert Williams III apart for the vast majority of the season. https://t.co/CsPbzBWWtH

— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 1, 2023

Notably, Boston shoots an identical number of 3s during their losing efforts and also currently ranks No. 2 in the NBA in 3-point attempts in those losses.

The ball club’s efficiency craters in such games, and the Celtics rank 29th overall in the league in 3-point percentage in losses, connecting on a mere 30.9% of those shots.

When it comes to contenders for the 2023 NBA title, the Boston Celtics are in rarified air. https://t.co/PkyUNMom8L

— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 1, 2023

Prior to Wednesday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Celtics Wire asked coach Mazzulla if he was comfortable with these shooting splits, and whether or not anything needed to change.

“I am happy with those numbers,” Mazzulla said. “Where we can get better when we’re not making 3s is to shoot the ball with confidence.” Many teams in the NBA, including contenders like the Denver Nuggets or Los Angeles Clippers, don’t have such dramatic shooting differences in wins and losses.

Boston is unique among the league’s best in this department, but Mazzulla doubled down when asked to clarify his stance that Boston needs to shoot through slumps.

“Yes.” Mazzulla said.