Under the radar offseason strategy could revolutionize the Celtics' offense

Much has been made of the Celtics leaning into their possession-maximizing style, especially at the center position where they have three centers who can dominate the glass - especially on the offensive end - with Neemias Queta, Mitchell Robinson, and Luka Garza. We also know about Mitch and Neemy’s abilities as rim runners and finishers, along with Garza’s elite touch and three-point shooting last season.

Boston has two strong rim protectors on the defensive end and three guys who can execute a highly effective pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop with some of the team’s elite creators. But the element these three bring to the table that probably isn’t getting enough attention is what they can do away from the play on offense, specifically with their screen-setting strength.

Last season, Queta led the league in off-ball screens set per 100 possessions, while Garza finished third. Garza also finished fourth in the NBA in points per possession directly off of those screens, while Queta, even at his volume, finished in the top-20.

Robinson was obviously on the Knicks last season, and he didn’t crack the top 10 in either category, but he was top 20 in both as well. You’d have to imagine that will become an even bigger part of Mitch’s role in Boston and that his screens will lead to some great looks and easy finishes.

Boston offense going to be much more diverse next season

This is just one more example of the Celtics creating a more diverse team this offseason. They lost some great on-ball shot creation, but they can lean into some of these other avenues to create efficient offense. They made a living last season by grabbing the low-hanging fruit and taking every advantage they could.

Off-ball screening from the center position is clearly an area they’re looking to maximize, and based on recent history, it should yield great results. This kind of off-ball action will take the pressure off ballhandlers like Jayson Tatum, Payton Pritchard, Paul George, and Derrick White.

Defenses will either be forced to adjust to the off-ball action, which will make life easier for the players with the ball to operate. Or defenses will sell out to stop the initial action, which should allow those guys to feast on easy passes that they’re all more than willing and capable of making.

Without JB, the Celtics are going to have to replace a lot of scoring, volume, and usage in their offense. He was one of the best tough-shot-makers in the league, and he won’t be there to bail the offense out anymore. But Brad Stevens and the Celtics are betting that they can make up for the loss with more creative and efficient paths to their offense, and things like these off-ball screen actions are going to play a big role.

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