Boston Celtics Must Find Perimeter Shooting

The inclusion of elite defensive assets has taken the Celtics this far, now greater scoring ability will transform Boston into title contenders

Danny Ainge has built a formidable defensive unit, however the Boston Celtics‘ championship hopes will not be fulfilled without greater offensive talent.

Coming off a successful 48 win season, the Celtics are looking to transition from their rebuilding phase to being serious title contenders in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics’ recent success can be accredited to the flourishing development of defensive specialists – Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart and Jae Crowder.

Boston’s method to winning games last season was seemingly an unreliable combination of elite defensive plays and fastbreak possessions in order to get on scoring runs from time to time.

The defensive-bolstered lineups have had incredible impact on the outcome of games, specifically when defensive switches and ball-denial prevents the opponents offense from flowing. Physicality and footwork are staples of the Celtics’ style of play, forcing 16.4 turnovers per game – second best in the league.

Contrary to the belief of many, the Celtics ranked fifth highest in scoring last season, posting 105.7 points per game. In theory, this makes the Celtics the fifth best offensive team in the league, however, Boston’s up-and-down pace skews this concept as they had the most field goal attempts per game in the league (89.2).

Delving further into the statistics highlights the need for Ainge to invest in scoring ability. Boston shot the three-ball at a high rate last season – 26.1 attempts per game – ranking them as the 11th highest three-point shooting team in the league.

But for what?

They were one of the worst shooting teams in the league behind the three-point line (34 percent) – ranking them 28th – an intolerable feat. In the midst of a basketball revolution led by Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, the norm of offensive schemes is changing to accommodate for the long ball, and consequently, the Celtics must conform in order to keep up.

These puzzling numbers have many fans questioning which players Brad Stevens has chosen to run the offense through in order to match the next generation of NBA three-point snipers.

Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports /

In recent NBA drafts, Danny Ainge has fixated his attention on young defensive prodigies with physically imposing attributes and unrelenting hustle – Bradley, Smart and Brown come to mind. In college basketball, the young athletes that boast these set of skills often have not yet developed an equally effective offensive repertoire going into the league.

Bradley was drafted back in the 2010 draft and was the first of many defensive guards picked by Ainge that specialized in hounding opposition ball-handlers. While he had little-to-no offensive ability as a rookie, he has developed an outside shot throughout recent years. However Bradley’s shot cannot be completely relied on, still leaving a lot to be desired – posting an ordinary 36 per cent on his three-point attempts last season.

Smart is a new breed of defensive guard in Boston, showing more physicality and off-ball hustle than Bradley. Smart’s shot was a major concern coming in to the league, but after nailing 34 per cent of his shots behind the line in his rookie year, he looked like he had improved and reinvented his game. This past season, Smart reverted back to the shaky jump shot that forced him to be a slasher in college, making a disappointing 25 per cent of all his three point shots.

Further cause for concern, Marcus took the fourth most three-point attempts for the Celtics (241), ahead of Kelly Olynyk, Boston’s most efficient shooting from behind the line, at 41 percent. These numbers for Marcus Smart would not be as alarming if he were slashing, driving and playmaking at an efficient rate, however, Brad Stevens allows Smart to settle for outside shots he is simply unable to make.

In addition, although Jae Crowder was not drafted by the Celtics, he is a pivotal defensive asset acquired in the Rajon Rondo deal with Dallas. With his growing opportunity in Boston, he has expanded his game into more than just a scrappy form of physical defense, shooting a career-high 363 three-point attempts last season – despite hitting on an unreliable 34 per cent of them.

Fans have questioned Ainge’s willingness to continue to draft players with the same set of skills and attributes; defensive strengths and offensive struggles. In this years draft, Jaylen Brown, once again, was a player drafted by Ainge, perfectly fitting the mould as a physical defender and lacking offensive player. In making this head-scratching selection, the Celtics elected to pass on playmaker, Kris Dunn and offensive elitist, Buddy Hield.

More from Hardwood Houdini

To ascend in to the next level, the Boston Celtics must utilize many of their valuable assets to acquire shooters with starting talent and role players with similar expertise. This means sacrificing some of the defensive ability that has made Boston great over recent years.

With the Al Horford acquisition, this increases Boston’s scoring output more than anything, but spacing and shooting is still a glaring weakness on this roster. Due to Danny Ainge’s unwillingness to draft offensive weapons out of college, it is time to turn to the trade market.

Being a Boston fan brings many emotions, but none are quite like the annual event of feeling infinite hope that the Celtics will trade or sign a big name free agent that can help in the immediate future. It is not a new occurrence that rumors continue to swirl around Boston’s camp and that we can be assured Danny and his team are trying to pry a superstar into the Celtic green.

Next: Jared Sullinger Signs With Toronto Raptors

Danny Ainge must trade for an offensive superstar, leaving no weaknesses preventing this team from title contention. If he is unable to trade for a capable candidate, the Celtics run the risk of falling into a dismal cycle year after year – on the cusp, but not quite.

Home/Celtics News