Boston Celtics: 3 stats that must improve in 2021-22

This past offseason, the Boston Celtics worked tirelessly to make sure that, come October 20th’s tip-off, this team would be in a better position to succeed than they ultimately were last year.

As things currently stand, the front office seemingly accomplished their goal, as this new-look roster appears more menacing and has the potential to be far more efficient than what it was in 2020-21.

From their bolstered center rotation to their various offensive-minded additions, the shamrocks without a doubt have the looks of being a much more well-balanced team.

That said, as we always state here at HH, it’s not about how a team appears on paper but, rather, how they perform on the hardwood.

Though they may have the tools to enhance themselves, in the end, how the Cs execute is obviously what matters most.

When looking at how last year’s team produced, there are many areas in which fans hope to see this team change for the better.

In specific, we at the Houdini view 3 statistics from last year that must be improved upon in 2021-22:

Boston Celtics statistic No. 1) Assists-per-game

Seemingly as soon as Ime Udoka took over as the new head coach for the Boston Celtics, he stated that one of the biggest alterations he’s looking to make with this team during his first year running the show is in the distribution game, specifically when it comes to team assists:

"“We want to have a well-rounded team. Looked at the numbers overall, sorry to mention this Brad,” Udoka said turning to President of Basketball Operations, Brad Stevens. “But 27th in assists last year. We want to have more team basketball there…”"

Though, in actuality, the Cs wound up placing 25th and not 27th in both assists per game (23.5) and total assists (1689) on the year, the sentiment is truly the same — this is not a recipe for success in the league.

In the appearance that the quote above is from, Udoka stated that he wants guys like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (the top two isolation scorers on the roster last year) to get the ball rolling in this area of the game.

If they can incorporate more drive-and-kicks and pick-and-rolls/ pops into their arsenal, it would make the offense much more menacing, for it would force opposing defenses to not only look out for the shake and bake score but also the kick out dishes as well.

More distribution would likely equate to jumpier defensive assignments and smoother offensive production.

Yes, please!