Balance Will be Key to the Boston Celtics’ Offense

Al Horford should give the Boston Celtics some much needed offensive balance

Now that Al Horford finally gives the Boston Celtics an offensive threat in their front court, having a balanced attack is going to be absolutely vital. The Celtics have demonstrated a willingness to attack in many different ways. They cannot hesitate on any opportunities and if Horford is able to bring the balance they need, then that can drastically improve the quality of their shots.

Too often it felt as though the Celtics were forcing shots, or driving into a cluttered paint area. The problem was that they did not get the floor spacing they needed from their front court, and they had no one in the paint that were able to continually draw defenders off their shooters.

Quantity of opportunities was how the Celtics flourished last year and now their balance between the front and back court should be able to get the quality of opportunities at the level that they need. The Celtics simply need better shooters to become a better shooting team but, with their ball movement and now the potential balance, they have an opportunity to increase their percentages because of how many better looks they get.

With Jared Sullinger and Amir Johnson making up their starting front court, the Celtics did not get the floor spacing they needed with Sullinger’s shooting, and Johnson could not generate opportunities from the inside. Of the players with the most shot attempts on the Celtics last year, Sullinger was the only power forward or center that cracked the top six. The Celtics simply did not have a big that they could effectively attack with, and that can change this season.

On the starting unit, all the offense was run through Thomas. On the second unit, all the offense was run through Evan Turner. Now, arguably the Celtics’ best offensive weapon is in the front court and while he alone may not be enough to bring full balance, he will certainly get them a lot closer to where they need to be.

The balance that Horford brings will not only have an impact on which players they will attack with. The Celtics finally have a player that needs to be respected by defenses and that will open things up on the inside and the outside.

The Celtics play in an offensive system where they embrace any opportunity they can get. Without Horford, those options were limited. Without having to account for a great threat in the front court, defenses were able to overcompensate and force the Celtics into poor situations.

Now that Horford is balancing out the Celtics’ roster, they need to make sure that they are attacking on the inside and on the outside. With how poor the Celtics shooters have been, they need all the help they can get at generating quality opportunities. Other than Thomas, the Celtics do not have another player who can effectively create a shot for themselves. Horford can come in and, even without the ball in his hands, improve the room the shooters have.

The Celtics also need to use Horford as a threat to open up the inside. The Celtics have loved driving to the rim, and that is where Thomas, Smart and Rozier all will be the most effective. Horford finally gives them that front court player that can pull defenders out of the paint and completely open things up.

The Celtics have players in Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder that they can trust as reliable catch and shoot players. They will not hesitate when they are given an open look and that should happen a lot more often with Horford in the lineup.

Horford gives the Celtics an opportunity at the balance that they could not get last year, but the balance also needs to come from the way they attack. The majority of that responsibility will fall on the shoulders of Thomas, and that is exactly how Stevens wants it.

Thomas has proven that he will adjust his game to optimize his play in the system, and Horford changes how he can optimize their effectiveness. Thomas needs to make sure he uses the extra space and finds a balance in the opportunities he creates. Remaining one dimensional makes life on the defense much easier, and with Horford in the lineup there is no longer any reason for them to be one dimensional in their attack.

If the Celtics are able to keep the defense guessing and on edge, then Thomas will be in a better position to find the easier looks. Combine that balance with the pace they play at and defenses could be running wild trying to defend the Celtics.

They may lack shooting across the board, but their pace and ball movement makes them incredibly difficult to defend, even if they have been missing far too many opportunities. Using the balance that Horford finally gives the Celtics is another way for them to stay one step ahead.

Next: Boston Celtics Sign Marcus Geroges-Hunt

Even with Horford the Celtics will still need to do multiple things in order to make up for their poor shooting and a balanced attack is another way they can optimize their offense this season. It may take time to get fully comfortable with Horford being a focal point in the offense, but the way they take advantage of how he expands their options could be the difference in elevating their offense.