Isaiah Thomas Needs Help on Offense

The biggest takeaway from the first round loss to the Atlanta Hawks was the Celtics’ poor offensive showing

After leading the Eastern Conference with 105.7 points per game in the regular season, the Boston Celtics offense went missing in the playoffs. Their points per game fell to a mere 93.8 points per game and the only Eastern Conference teams to average less were the Toronto Raptors (through six games) and Charlotte Hornets.

The Celtics lost Avery Bradley in Game 1, who contributed 18 points before going down with a hamstring injury and was second on the team in points per game during the regular season. Bradley may have relieved some of the defensive pressure off of Isaiah Thomas, but it wouldn’t have been enough.

Boston entered the playoffs as one of the worst-shooting teams in the NBA. With a 43.9 field-goal percentage, the Celtics were tied with the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets as the worst-shooting playoff teams, ranking 26th in the league. Their shooting somehow got worse in the playoffs as they shot an atrocious 38.4 percent from the field, by far the lowest in the playoffs.

They were tied for second-worst in three-point shooting with the Toronto Raptors, however, their 27.5 three-point percentage is nothing to be proud of. It seems even worse when considering the Celtics attempted 31.5 threes per game – third most in the playoffs.

There is also no forgetting the Celtics Game 2 first quarter where they only managed seven points. It was the worst first quarter in NBA playoffs history, and sadly, the Celtics had many more quarters that were nearly as bad.

Most people expected problems to arise in the playoffs when the Celtics would be forced to play a half-court game instead of running in transition. No one expected their problems to be as bad as they were. Without the ability to get in transition, the Celtics folded.

The Atlanta Hawks were able to abuse them down low and guarded the paint like guard dogs. The Celtics were rarely able to get an easy layup or open look inside the arc. They were always pressured into taking a tough shot or were swallowed up when the Hawks’ defense collapsed on them in the paint.

Isaiah Thomas finished the series averaging 24.2 points per game, however, his 39.5 field-goal percentage and 28.3 three-point percentage show the struggles he had scoring. The problem was Boston didn’t have another consistent scorer to draw attention away from Thomas.

Evan Turner played a great series but the Hawks didn’t respect his outside shot. Marcus Smart, despite shooting better than he did in the regular season, was still a far cry away from being considered a three-point threat. Jae Crowder was still bothered by his high ankle sprain and he was non-existent on the offensive side.

Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko were the only Celtics to shoot above 40 percent in the series, but neither averaged more than eight shot attempts per game. Johnson was the only consistent scorer down low, however, he’s not the type of player that you can continuously feed the ball. Boston didn’t have a big who could bang inside with Paul Millsap and Al Horford, instead they sent their small backcourt.

Apr 24, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) shoots the ball over Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) during the first half in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /

When it comes down to it, Boston relied on Thomas every game and gave him little support.

Atlanta collapsed on Thomas when he drove and started to double-team the short guard on the perimeter. It forced the rest of the team to make plays or forced Thomas into contested shots. It forced him into trying to make too many things happen and acting as a scorer instead of a playmaker.

The fast-tempo offense the Celtics played in the regular season allowed guys to get open looks from three and get in transition for easy layups. It was the same story during the Celtics two wins, however, in the other four games, Boston was unable to speed up Atlanta.

The Boston Celtics are now heading into an expected busy off-season. Bringing in a superstar like Kevin Durant would be ideal and would change the landscape of the NBA, but it most likely won’t happen. The Celtics need to think more realistically about free agents, who they could attract, who would provide them with another scorer.

For as high-powered of an offense the Celtics owned this season, that should be their biggest focus. They have the defensive specialists – Bradley, Crowder and Smart – but don’t have a consistent scorer who can take the pressure off of Thomas. Boston isn’t just missing a big man or three-point specialist, they’re missing someone who is a solid shooter and can score when Thomas isn’t in the game or is double-teamed.

More from Hardwood Houdini

Avery Bradley is a good shooting guard who can shoot the three or drive the lane. He’s not a great shooter though and can’t be relied on when Isaiah Thomas is having a bad night. The Celtics were a team who stepped up in the regular season when Thomas struggled shooting, but couldn’t do that in the playoffs. They have an abundance of outside shooters and defenders, however, the inability to create their own shot proved to be their achilles heel in the playoffs.

For as good as Thomas is, he can’t do it on his own. The slower pace may have come as a shock for the Celtics as they weren’t able to get any rhythm on offense. Boston lived and died by the three all season but it became an even bigger part of their offense in the playoffs. Taking Thomas out of the game also led to a lot more one-on-one scenarios for the Celtics.

Next: Don't Call This Season a Success

The Boston Celtics were one of the best offensive teams in the regular season, however, they also showed it doesn’t work in the playoffs. The Celtics have holes to fill this off-season but a consistent scorer alongside Thomas may top the list.

Home/Celtics News