When Boston Celtics shooting guard Avery Bradley collapsed to the Phillips Arena hardwood midway through the fourth quarter of Game 1 with a badly strained hamstring, it became evident that other members of the team would have to up their outside shooting a touch in order to propel the squad to even one victory in a series that has become increasingly distant from Boston’s control.
More from Hardwood Houdini
- Boston Celtics’ two-way contract decision will be made after training camp
- Proposed trade sends Boston Celtics playoff killer to the Cs from rival
- ‘Face of Germany’s stunning run’ in FIBA World Cup not the only ex-Boston Celtics player to win gold
- Proposed Boston Celtics trade target pitched for reunion with fired coach
- Battle For Banner 18: Will Boston Celtics battle historical foe in 2024 Finals?
However, the likes of Marcus Smart and Jae Crowder, two x-factor’s for the Celtics as they attempt to salvage their season after falling down 2-0 in the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series after an abysmal 89-72 loss to the Hawks on Tuesday night, responded to the absence of Bradley with a combined 2-20 shooting night from the field, burying Boston in an abyss of a deficit as the series shifts to the TD Garden for Friday’s Game 3.
If the Celtics wish to threaten the notion of a series sweep, they need for their defensive stopper, Smart, ushered into the role of hounding Atlanta point guard Jeff Teague around the perimeter for upwards of 30 minutes per night, to shake off his historically poor shooting performance from three-point land in 2015-16 and resurrect his Game 1 self, in which he shot 3-6 from outside en route to a 15-point night.
The sixth pick in the 2014 draft followed up that showing with a relapse into the habits he developed throughout the regular season, in which he shot 25.3% from deep. In 30 minutes of action, Smart hit just one of his 11 field goal attempts (1-6 from three) in addition to a pair of turnovers while bruising a rib in the process.
With Smart struggling to become a threat from the perimeter, Boston essentially has zero outside specialists in their regular rotation which commands the majority of the minutes. This is magnified with the struggles of Crowder.
Hampered by a nagging ankle ailment, Crowder missed all four of his three-point attempts on Tuesday en route to a 1-9 performance from the field in 35 minutes, accounting for more turnovers (3) than points (2).
Without the production of Crowder, head coach Brad Stevens is forced to insert the likes of Jonas Jerebko and R.J. Hunter into the game for extended periods of time solely predicated upon their ability to spread the floor with their shooting abilities regardless of their defensive incapabilities.
Despite the near fact that it may be too much to ask for Smart to become a reliable option from three-point range over the next few games, Crowder has the potential to break out of the shooting slump that he is currently suffering from.
In 17 appearances in January in which he averaged 15.8 points per game, Crowder shot a modest 38% from beyond the arc, underlining his ability to connect on the spot-up long ball when the Celtics need it most.
Next: Boston Celtics: Three Takeaways From Game 2
Game 3 presents the perfect opportunity for the Marquette product to shake off his current 18.2% three-point field goal percentage that currently graces his postseason stat line over the first two contests and provide his team with some much-needed offensive production and floor spreading, which would open up driving lanes for the likes of Isaiah Thomas which have been occupied throughout the series thus far.