7/15/2023 0 Comments Celtics roster 2021![]() ![]() The Celtics faced the same exact problems this past year as they did the year prior. In games they held teams to under that number, they went 54-21. When the Celtics allowed 111 points or more, they went 11-20, including the playoffs. Meanwhile, the league-average scoring number was 110.6 in the 2021-22 season. When Boston failed to reach that mark, they went 43-37. In the regular season and playoffs, the Celtics went 22-4 when they shot 40% or better from behind the three-point line. And, a lot of times, our defense has been our kryptonite when we’re not making shots.” Defense is key because even though you miss shots, your defense can save you a lot of the time. “We’re just going to have to put our defense first,” said Smart “Not really worry about shots, make or miss. In the regular season and postseason combined, the Celtics went 18-23 when they allowed at least 115 points. The average scoring mark in the NBA last season was 114.7 points. When they failed to reach that mark, they were 30-32.ĭefensively, the statistics looked similar. Including the playoffs, the Celtics were 38-2 this season when they shot 40% or better from behind the arc. Then the three-pointers stopped falling and the Celtics became defined by their three-point shot. For a long period of time, they were the best offense in league history. And I don’t think you win championships with a better offense than you have a defense.”īoston’s offense was red-hot to start their 2022-23 campaign. And this year, offense was our calling card. “This was a team last year that prided itself on defense. “It was the issue,” Brogdon said of the Celtics’ defense. Only last year, their offense got worse in the postseason, and this year, the defense took a hit. Year to year, Boston’s inconsistencies showed. Offensively, the Celtics notched a 110.3 rating (ninth of 16) in 2021-22 and a 116.1 (third) rating in 2022-23. But when the postseason rolled around, the real differences began to surface. Offense was up around the league, and Boston still finished with a top-two rating. You take the open ones, you take the right ones, and you continue to play defense.”Īt face value, the dip in defensive efficiency doesn’t seem too drastic. “You can’t control the shots not falling or going in. “We just got to understand that shots aren’t always going to fall, but our effort on defense, we can always control that,” Marcus Smart said. Meanwhile, the Celtics’ defense took a hit, moving from a 106.2 (first) defensive rating in 2021-22 to 110.6 (second) in 2022-23. Their offensive rating jumped from 113.6 (ninth overall) in 2021-22 to 117.3 (second) in 2022-23. ![]() And this time around, their identity changed.īoston went from a dominant defensive team to a squad that focused their efforts on the offensive end. The Celtics were bounced in the Eastern Conference finals by the Miami Heat. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened. While the ultimate goal was always to win a championship, anything short of that would now be defined as a failure rather than a sign of progress. While they would go on to lose to the Golden State Warriors in six games, it signaled improvement, and they got to that point by way of their top-notch defense. 35 overall.After years of falling short, the Boston Celtics finally broke through and made the NBA Finals in the 2021-22 season. The Celtics do not have a first-round pick this year, but they are in position to get good value with the fifth pick of the second round, No. The NBA is also adding a third two-way slot, so the Celtics will have two openings to fill there. ![]() ![]() Davison will likely return on a second two-way contract, but center Mfiondu Kabengele is no longer eligible to receive a two-way deal since it’s his fifth year in the league. Kornet played well when Al Horford and Robert Williams were unable to play on back-to-back nights and is a Stevens favorite. Luke Kornet and Justin Champagnie are on nonguaranteed deals. He has made it clear he wants to play, whether in Boston or elsewhere.įorward Mike Muscala, who never secured a rotation spot after being acquired from the Thunder in February, has a $3.5 million team option, just slightly above the minimum for a 10-year veteran.īlake Griffin, an unrestricted free agent, was a solid veteran locker-room presence and had some useful moments down the stretch of the regular season. Pritchard never cracked the regular rotation and all but requested a trade before the deadline. Among players on guaranteed deals next year, guard Payton Pritchard’s future seems the most uncertain. ![]()
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