It’s onerous to understate simply how totally different this 12 months’s model of the Boston Celtics appears in comparison with final 12 months’s group. They gutted their roster and rebuilt it with youthful and cheaper gamers. They, at the least on paper, do not seem so as to add as much as a championship-caliber group.
Final season, the Celtics led the NBA in 3-point makes an attempt per sport, launching 48.2 threes on common. Relying on who you ask, that was both thrilling or irritating to observe. Both manner, Invoice Simmons of The Ringer—who’s a Celtics homer—expects Boston to double down on that controversial technique subsequent season.
In line with Simmons, he expects the Celtics to shoot at the least 50 threes per sport and even break the single-game 3-point file by making an attempt at the least 70 threes at the least as soon as. Which may appear far-fetched, however with them having far much less expertise than final season, they want an equalizer.
Assuming they shoot at the least 37% from three on that form of quantity, the mathematics would work out within the Celtics’ favor. In spite of everything, taking that many threes means they must play sooner. Furthermore, many groups do not even take 40 threes, not to mention can afford to get right into a shootout with a group that takes much more.
The Boston Celtics may shatter an NBA file this season
Doubling down on threes could be their finest wager to remain aggressive till star Jayson Tatum recovers from an Achilles tear. Tatum may doubtlessly be again in March, giving Boston some hope that he may assist remodel them again right into a contender.
Within the meantime, they must make do with a roster that is not almost as gifted as final season’s group and options one of many worst huge man rotations within the NBA. They need to nonetheless have the ability to keep afloat due to Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Anfernee Simmons.
He has quietly averaged almost 20 factors per sport during the last 5 years and will assist them within the quick time period as an elite shooter. Nonetheless, forward of the commerce deadline, they might ship him out for a starting-caliber middle similar to Chicago Bulls huge man Nikola Vucevic.That’s depending on the Celtics’ potential 3-point technique serving to preserve them afloat.
All in all, Simmons’ expectation that the Celtics will try at the least 50 threes per sport appears practical. It could be a controversial technique, however it’s additionally a wise one for the Celtics in the event that they wish to stay related.
