The Celtics May Want to Consider Shooting Fewer Three-Pointers
By Liam McKeone
The Boston Celtics are a below-average basketball team and of late have lost games in embarrassing fashion. There's losing, and then there's losing.
Boston blew a 13-point lead to the Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas. Then they lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who played only two regular starters due to a COVID outbreak. Greg Monroe was signed and showed up to the arena literally hours before the game, didn't know half his teammates, and still dropped 11 points and six assists. Some dude named Jaylen Norwell had 29 points. The Celtics were shorthanded in that matchup, missing Jayson Tatum after he was placed in health and safety protocols, but they still had the best player on the floor in Jaylen Brown. Half of that Wolves roster will be out of the NBA by next year.
The worst effort of them all, though, came last night. Boston hosted the Los Angeles Clippers, missing Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Reggie Jackson, and Brandon Boston. The Celtics lost 92-81. They shot 4-of-42 from deep.
Four makes on 42 attempts. Good for a ripe 9.5 percent success rate.
I mean, good lord, fellas. That is on par with the infamous Houston Rockets' 27 straight missed three-pointers game in the 2018 Western Conference Finals. Words cannot do that level of failure justice.
A humble suggestion from this blogger: maybe shoot fewer of those long balls? No team can possibly shoot that poorly based on bad luck alone. Luck plays a part, to be sure, but it's also a rather significant indicator that there just aren't any quality three-point shooters on the roster.
Again, Boston was missing their best overall scorer and shooter in Tatum. Aaron Neismith is an alleged sharpshooter but also missed the contest with COVID and can't get on the floor when he's healthy anyway. Brown is a good shooter when he isn't the only threat on the floor and harassed every second he has the ball.
But even with all that said, 4-of-42, man. Ime Udoka has some stuff to figure out. It should probably start with some layup drills.