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Inconsistent Offense Becoming a Concern for Boston Celtics

By Joshua Bateman

Mar 29, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) tries to go between Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon (13) and guard Tony Snell (21) during the second half of the Milwaukee Bucks 103-100 win over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 29, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) tries to go between Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon (13) and guard Tony Snell (21) during the second half of the Milwaukee Bucks 103-100 win over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Boston Celtics need to make sure they avoid the offensive struggles that happened against the Bucks

The Boston Celtics have looked like a different team with their much improved defense since the All Star break. There is no doubting that they are the most balanced they have been all season long, as that defense has turned from a liability into one of the best in the league.

The problem, however, is that the offense has not been quite as good as it was before their defense improved. The issue is not quite that they do not look as good when they are at their best. Instead, it feels as though the Celtics are not always playing to their capabilities on the offensive end, and the loss to the Milwaukee Bucks is a great example of that.

The Celtics have started turning the ball over more, and some of their shooters are not finishing quite as well as they did to start the season. Of course, the two will always be tied. The Celtics need to establish ball movement if they are going to get their offense at its best, and as soon as the turnovers start piling up, they lose their best edge.

In addition to fighting for that number one seed in the conference, the remainder of the season needs to be an opportunity for this team to make sure they do not have these kinds of offensive lapses in the playoffs. Their defense has proven that it is good enough to win games, but selling themselves short on either end could easily lead to an upset and an early exit. The Celtics have shown us their offensive and defensive potential, now it is about making sure they are both realized at the same time.

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The Bucks certainly present problems for the Celtics with their defense. They have incredible length across the board, making it more difficult for the shooters to get clear looks, and more difficult for them to move the ball with ease. The Bucks were disruptive, but the Celtics did very little to try and fight that. The Celtics kept forcing things, and that is where their offense runs into a lot of troubles.

The Celtics finished the game shooting under 40 percent overall, and at 32 percent from three, while losing the turnover battle 14-16. The Celtics have seen their offense surge this year because they have found the shooters they need, and because their offense has been as good as anyone in terms of ball movement. It is unacceptable for the Celtics to be turning the ball over more than their opponents, and it is disastrous when they do that on a night when they shoot that poorly.

The Celtics do not have much experience against the kind of length and size that the Bucks bring, and that could be part of the explanation as to why their offense struggled so much. Fortunately, the Celtics have another meeting against them, giving them a lot more comfort if they do happen to meet in the playoffs.

That being said, unfamiliarity is not the only problem with the offense, as they have been steadily inconsistent for too long now. The Celtics are still managing to score over 100 points on a regular basis, but that is not a good enough standard at this point. Pace has a huge impact on the actual score of the game. The Celtics have shown an ability to play slow or fast, making the importance less on the actual number of points scored, and more on how well the offense is functioning. The issue for the Celtics is much less about missing shots, and more about trying to force the issue.

The offensive confidence of a lot of players has increased this season, but they cannot let that cause them to fall into bad habits, assuming that they are good enough on offense to take more the difficult route while forcing things.

The Celtics are once again able to win with their defense, but it has become clear that they cannot take their offense for granted, even if it has consistently been in the top 10 in the league all season long. The Celtics excelled with such ease at the beginning of the season, and that has lead to games where they look completely dead on that end.

Ultimately, the ball movement is what matters the most. There will be times when the Celtics have off games shooting, but it takes more than that for their offense to truly be in a slump. There is also a clear connection between their ball movement and the quality of their shots. The Celtics cannot afford to get lazy and assume that the offense will just eventually come.

At the beginning of the year, they focused more on their offense because they realized they needed to make up for their defense. Now, without that pressure, the offense is not quite stepping up as often as it had been at the beginning of the season.

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Come playoff time the key will always be getting the balance and playing well on both ends. The loss to the Bucks is a great example of what can happen when they are unable to establish the ball movement that allows their offense to excel.

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