Boston Celtics Offense No Longer Depending on Pace

The Boston Celtics are slowing everything down on the offensive end this season

After finishing with the second fastest pace in the NBA a season ago, it is quite surprising to see the Boston Celtics holding the 18th fastest pace in the NBA this season with a mark of 98.5. Pace was an essential aspect of Boston’s offense a season ago, but the multiple ways that they have grown has allowed them to settle into a more consistent and reliable offensive system. The Celtics have seen their offensive efficiency take a huge jump this season with the seventh best mark of 107.6.

The Celtics are still a poor shooting team, but nothing like they were a season ago. The Celtics simply could not score enough points unless they did everything to optimize the volume of their opportunities last season. The Celtics used that pace to mask their shooting struggles and still be one of the highest scoring teams in the league. Now, the offense is functioning at a much higher level. Ball movement and ball security has taken over their identity, and their full offensive potential is finally being approached.

The Celtics have shifted the focus, but continue to do the same things as last season. Last year, the number one priority was the quantity of opportunities, but that always had to be tied to the quality of opportunities. The key was not passing on any kind of decent opportunity, while using steals and Jared Sullinger‘s offensive rebounds to make up for their misses.

This season, the quantity of opportunities has taken a back seat to the quality of opportunities. They are no longer getting any kind of impactful offensive rebounding, and with their steals down they have not been able to fabricate those extra opportunities on a regular basis. With much better offensive talent, the Celtics are making sure their offensive possessions are of the best quality in the NBA, and that is being lead by both Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford.

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The Celtics have the third best assist percentage in the NBA, while also having fourth best turnover percentage in the NBA. As the only team in the NBA that ranks in the top five of both those categories, they currently have the leagues best assist to turnover ratio at 2.14, despite having an overall negative turnover ratio.

Perhaps the Celtics could afford to play with the same pace if they were still getting those extra opportunities because of offensive rebounding and steals, but the end result has been the best offense Brad Stevens has ever run. The Celtics have the seventh best offensive efficiency because Horford has the best assist to turnover ratio out of all centers in the NBA, and Thomas has the best ratio out of the top five scoring leaders in the NBA. Stevens has a lot more talent at his disposal and the team realizes that they can afford to slow things down and focus on the quality of their opportunity, because they have a lot more players they can trust in their half court set.

Add in Avery Bradley stepping up in every way as a shooter and it is not just the addition of Horford that has allowed for this difference. With Thomas continuing to improve both his scoring and distribution, Bradley’s increase by almost three points per game is because of an increase from 36.1 percent to 40.6 percent from three. The Celtics are finally realizing their offensive talent, and the results should continue to improve on a young team that still has multiple disappointing shooters.

Dec 18, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) shoots over Miami Heat guard Josh Richardson (0) during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Celtics still have issues with the 15th ranked shooting percentage at 45 percent, and the 15th ranked three point shooting percentage at 35.5 percent, but that makes the former bottom dwellers one of the most improved teams in the league. The Celtics have shifted their offensive identity to a team that uses the best ball movement from every player on the court, and that certainly has had an impact on those percentages. The Celtics are one of the best passing teams in the league, and yet their leading assist man only ranks 17th in the league. The ball movement is not generated by one player. More so than any other team in the NBA, the Celtics use their entire roster to make sure the ball never stops moving.

The Celtics still have players that never hesitate when they have an open shot, and that is something that will never change. Thomas will look to exploit any advantage he can get, Bradley is always in attack mode, Marcus Smart will never stop playing with relentless aggression and they have three point shooters like Jae Crowder, Jonas Jerebko and Kelly Olynyk that are always waiting for that open look.

What has changed this season are the forced looks early on in the shot clock. The Celtics are doing a better job of evaluating when they believe that they can pass up on decent opportunity for what will eventually become a better opportunity.

Of course, the reduced pace is also a result of their decline in steals. The Celtics are in transition much less than last season and they are not taking as many early opportunities because of that. That being said, transition is just one minor aspect of how their offense has changed. It would be great to see them in transition more, but these changes have clearly been for the better.

The Celtics are no longer the under talented and overachieving team that Stevens has been showered with praise for being successful with. They have have the additional talent and development to no longer feel as though they are overcompensating against a better team.

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The offense has changed, but it has been more of a shift. They continue to look to the same areas for their success, but they now have more freedom to no longer have to force things, allowing them to fully realize their potential on that end.