What Do the Celtics Need?
As of the writing of this article, the Boston Celtics are 20-21, sitting at 10th in the Eastern Conference. It’s no surprise this is a disappointment, as most fans were expecting to be a top seed. The preseason power rankings were a little less generous to the Celtics given the increase of talent in the Eastern Conference, but they haven’t even achieved that. In short, the Celtics need to make moves to turn the season around. What should they do?
Three Point Shooting
The Celtics are 18th in scoring at 107.5 points per game. Further, they’re 23rd in field goal percentage and 24th in three point percentage. It’s clear they need a spark on that side of the ball. This is especially true of their three point scoring. Only 2 players on the team have a three point percentage above 40%, and neither of them are Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum. That’s a problem. Further, the team’s #3 in terms of three point attempts per game (behind the Jays) is Marcus Smart, who’s making just under 30% of those threes. Smart has always been seen as a chucker, but they need a sharpshooter if they’re going to survive this league.
So who’s a realistic target for this team? That’s hard to say, since most of the league’s better three point shooters are on teams that are performing well. Either that, or they’re young and likely unavailable for what they Celtics can give. That said, maybe someone like Eric Gordon or Mike Muscala could give the C’s a more cost effective spark.
Efficient+Clutch Scoring
Three point scoring is one thing, but this team needs more than that. Twelve of the team’s 21 losses are by seven points or less. Many of those are the result of the team falling apart for a stretch of the game, generally the last quarter. While I trust Brown and Tatum, the team needs a third player that can provide clutch and efficient scoring when needed. That’s a more difficult thing to trade for than three point scoring, so this might not be something that can be fixed this year. Or, maybe someone can step up?
If I had to pick someone to take a step in this way, it’d have to be Robert Williams III. Timelord has shown a ton of talent in his three seasons so far, and I’m constantly impressed by his play. He might not shoot threes at all, but his .749 field goal percentage is hard to look past. Maybe if they can get him more involved in the offense, we’ll have fewer close losses the remainder of the season.
Conclusion
Honestly, I think a good amount of the Celtics struggles are less about personnel and more about struggling with a new coach in Ime Udola. Hopefully this is something they can fix in the second half of the season, because this team has the talent to make the playoffs. They just need to do better at showing it.
Image Source: Celtics Twitter page
Tired of soreness and pain slowing you and your workouts down? Change that. Melt stress away anytime, anywhere with the ExoGun. Designed to give you the ultimate recovery utilizing percussive therapy and deep tissue massage, it will change your recovery life FOREVER. Follow this link (Exogun) for 10% off or use code promo code CGS10 at checkout!
Feeling tired, unable to focus and low on energy? We can help. Go to shockedenergy.com today and get yourself Shocked Energy today! Obtaining maximum energy with healthy ingredients. Use the promo codes “CGS21” or “CGSN” for 10% off your order today.
– Pat Shuman (@PShu1996 on Twitter) Check out my other articles here!