Boston Celtics: 3 tweaks the Cs can make to improve their offense

This past season, the Boston Celtics ranked 10th in offensive rating and 13th in net rating.

Those two dropped to 27th and 24th, respectively, once the team’s lead star, Jayson Tatum, stepped off the floor.

As seen by the numbers and the film, the Boston Celtics were a one-dimensional team with nothing to offer outside its star player. They could not make decisions, create shots, or make rudimentary passes without Tatum to do it for them.

This style of play is no way to win at the highest level.

The task ahead for the C’s new General Manager seems stark, but in reality, it isn’t that complicated.

They have a lot to do to improve their offense and get back to contending status.

Brad Stevens needs to bring ancillary pieces that do not rely on Jayson Tatum like the 2020-21 role players did.

The front office also needs to find decision-makers and players who will move without the ball while staying well under the NBA’s salary cap apron.

There are plenty of veterans or cheap role players that could greatly benefit the team’s offense.

However, before all else, the Celtics must figure out a way to get the most out of the group of ballers they currently have on the payroll, and we at HH believe there are 3 ways they can go about doing this that could help improve their offense:

Offensive Improvement for Boston Celtics No.1) Maximizing big man play

The C’s big man rotation for next season will most likely consist of Al Horford, Robert Williams, and Moses Brown.

With Brad Stevens stressing financial flexibility, it is unlikely he rolls with Tristan Thompson, who will make nearly $10 million next season.

The same goes for Kornet for, with Brown making a modest $3 million for the next three seasons, none of which are fully guaranteed, Stevens will likely let the big walk to another team.

There is a chance Stevens brings in another big like Larry Nance Jr., Gorgui Dieng, or JaVale McGee since Stevens historically prefers veterans over young guys, but I won’t be making that assumption in this article.

For now, the Boston Celtics have a very versatile offensive center rotation.

Robert Williams, who will likely start, provides elite rim rolling, passing, and offensive rebounding but does not have a sustainable jumper and struggles to finish through contact.

Off the bench, the team welcomes back Al Horford, who will give Udoka some reliable shooting, decision making, passing, and facilitation but may not be able to roll and finish like he used to.

As for Moses Brown, he will certainly see multiple DNP’s and garbage time minutes barring any injuries to the Celtics’ front two. He will be a development player until he takes strides as a finisher and decision-maker.

Udoka must use these skill sets to the team’s advantage.

Not many teams have the luxury of having such a deep center rotation; it’s up to the Celtics to leverage this strength against their opponents.

When Williams is in, the Boston Celtics need to push the ball and get the big man running in transition. They need to keep the floor spaced for his kick-outs and drive the ball to the hoop to create offensive rebounding opportunities.

With Horford, they should play slower and more methodically.

Let the veteran direct traffic and organize things rather than trying to catch the opposing team off guard. With Williams, it’s chaos, but with Horford, it’s a chess match.