Under Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics have become known for their three-point shooting acumen. The trend really started with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and the Warriors a decade ago, but the Celtics have taken it to another level in recent years with a clear organizational philosophy dependent on winning the math game, which starts with dominating the three-point attempts.
The strategy took the league by storm, and Boston cruised to a championship in 2024, with teams racing to follow their lead and try to mimic the style. And that’s what happens with trends in a league as competitive as the NBA.
Teams start to adjust, then seek the next market inefficiency, and move to capitalize on a potential advantage before the rest of the league figures it out. And unfortunately for the Celtics, that may be happening in real time.
Of the top 11 teams this season in three-point volume, only the Cavaliers are still alive after round one of the playoffs. Six of the top 11 didn’t even reach the playoffs, including the top 2 teams, the Warriors and Hornets. Then four of the top 11 fell in round one: the Blazers, Celtics, Hawks, and Suns.
The Cavs were 7th, and they barely survived round one themselves. That’s a stark contrast from last season, when four of the top five reached the conference semifinals. This isn’t to say things can’t swing back the other way, but the Celtics need to make sure they step a step ahead of the curve instead of a step behind.
Celtics must reassess 3-point viability in playoffs
Boston certainly shouldn’t try to reinvent the wheel this summer, or overreact to a small sample. But it’s hard to watch these playoffs and not realize that teams are clearly ramping up their defense and making a concerted effort to take away the three-ball.
The Sixers were staying out of rotation, running shooters off the line, and daring the Celtics to keep driving and finishing. The Game 2 loss felt like some bad shooting variance, but the final three losses were different. Boston couldn’t generate good looks, and the offense couldn’t overcome it.
Celtics need an off-speed pitch
Again, they don’t need to completely change their offense this summer, but they need to consider more versatility and other options when the threes aren’t there. That should be instructive of how they rebuild the roster around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as well.Â
Surrounding them with shooters is great until those shooters go cold and can’t do much else to help the offense stay afloat. We saw that happen, and the game bogged down to the Jays trying to beat people off the dribble. They are good enough to win that way, but it’s making things harder than they need to be.
Ideally, the Celtics can find some other scoring options this summer who can create shots for themselves and others and get to the rim. If they can find an effective change of pace to diversify the offense, they’ll be in better shape next time the threes dry up.
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