The Boston Celtics made numerous changes in the offseason because of an underwhelming 2020-21 season. The Celtics' defense slipped last season, and head coach Ime Udoka â known for his defensive schemes â was brought in to help fix that. Boston has a top-10 defense right now, but the offense has been inconsistent.
The offense isn't totally fixed, as evidenced by only scoring 88 points in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers, but there are major signs of improvement. Jayson Tatum scored 11 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter of that game and has been looking more like his usual self. As the leader of this squad, Tatum has been the catalyst for Boston experiencing more offensive success, but there are other reasons as well. The Celtics just scored a combined 275 points in the last two games and are looking better offensively, even with Jaylen Brown dealing with an injury.
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Why the Boston Celtics are rolling offensively
3. Long-range marksmanship
The Celtics have been mediocre shooting the 3-ball this season, but some of that is because Tatum has started slow from deep. Boston is getting some quality 3-point shooting from surprising contributors.
Grant Williams and Romeo Langford are converting an incredible 43.2% and 41.7%, respectively, from rainbow country this season. Dennis Schroder is not known for his shooting prowess, but he is recording 35.8% from long range on 1.7 makes per game, and he just hit five triples in a dominant win over Portland.
Additionally, the Celtics began this road trip with hot hand. Their conversions have increased to 17.5 a game on 46.1% shooting. Boston won't stay this hot, but making 3s is important to this offense.
2. Commendable ball movement
Even during the tenure of Brad Stevens, the Celtics were heavily criticized because of the isolation tendencies of Tatum and Brown. Their assist numbers this season still have not been impressive at 22.9 per game, but recording 23 and 26 assists, respectively, over the last two games is a good sign as they find their groove.
Also, assists are not necessarily indicative of the impeccable ball movement of the Celtics, because some passes lead to free throws or open shots that failed to just swish the net. As Brown is expected to rejoin the lineup in the following days, their unselfishness must continue being excellent, because it opens up massive opportunities and boosts the confidence of every player on the team.
1. Tatum, Schroder are constantly attacking the rim
Tatum began this season on a sour note because of his atrocious shot selection and efficiency of his jump shots. He has the tendency to settle on his patented step-back jumpers, which sometimes causes stagnation. However, over the last nine games, Tatum is attempting 7.3 free throws a game on a 89.4% clip. He must realize that his remarkable acceleration and brute upper body strength make him unstoppable, causing defenses to just send him to the line.
Schroder is arguably the most underrated signing in the offseason because he fits well into the Celtics' system that needed an upgrade at point guard. He is able to create his own offense and go to his fantastic right hand and covert his looping layups. Over this nine-game stretch, Schroder is shooting 54.2% on shots from 10 feet and in, all while executing his dangerous drives to the rim.
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The Celtics wrap up their road trip with two games at Staples Center and a fabulous matchup against the mighty Phoenix Suns. Their performance must be sensational to topple these three talented franchises, but with Boston elevating its offense, it brings a new facet to a dangerous Eastern Conference contender. There are many teams ascending in the East this season, but one cannot forget that Boston has reached the Eastern Conference Finals in three of the last five iterations. Their experience has been priceless, and this could be the year that Jayson Tatum puts the team on his shoulders and leads them to another deep playoff run.
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