THe Boston Celtics cannot rely too much on three point shooting in game 7
Three point shooting is always going to be a part of this Boston Celtics team, and is often going to be their biggest strength. The Celtics generate great looks and have guys they can trust to his those shots. Nevertheless, when it comes to game seven against LeBron James, there is too much risk in trying to win with the deep ball.
When the Celtics start taking too many three pointers, they tend to develop bad habits. They take more contested looks, they do not move the ball through the shot clock and they end up making things much more difficult on themselves and are prone to making more mistakes.
James already does enough to make this the most difficult game for this core of players, and the Celtics know they can generate the easier looks that will put the pressure on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Celtics know they have inside matchups they can exploit with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier going against George Hill, Kyle Korver and J.R Smith. The Celtics want to avoid this becoming an inevitable game of runs, because they can get the stability that will ensure James alone will not be enough to destroy this game.
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?
The Celtics should be faster at every position and have all kinds of strength they can use on the inside. Tristan Thompson will cause problems, but with Kevin Love out, the front court depth of the Cavaliers is nonexistent, and that is where the Celtics need to attack.
The Celtics need to establish good rhythm and get everyone involved. There are too many streaky shooters to expect everyone to be contributing from deep. When they have great ball movement and off ball movement, they generate easy looks for anyone that is on the court.
The Celtics are a different team when everyone gets involved, and they are able to attack in a lot of different ways if they don’t rely on the three pointer too much. The Celtics want to make sure they are putting constant pressure on a weak defense, and they are simplifying things for their opponent when the offense is just looking for three point shots.
The Celtics know they are capable of winning this game, but their consistency has been a concern all season long. The Celtics need to do everything they can to mitigate the factors that can make them suscpetible to big runs.
One way or another, three point shooting will lead to a run. The Celtics know they need to be able to hit their shots tonight, but they don’t need some miracle three point shooting night to win this game.
The Celtics need to always be attacking and always be confident, and they can get that out of everyone if they are generating easy looks inside. More of these players will hesitate on decent looks from deep, because they are not a top shooter.
No matter who is attacking, they will be aggressive and confident with easy looks on the inside. The Celtics have to work to get everyone involved, and we have seen before how good they can be when they get good looks that they can sustain their offense with.
Next: Boston Celtics game 7, You Ready?
The Celtics know that James will come out with an otherworldly performance, but they also know if they play the right way they will be able to control game seven.