BOSTON — The Celtics haven’t been themselves and it’s taken a toll as of late, dragging the reigning champs to an uncharacteristic 6-4 stretch all through their final 10 video games getting into Christmas Day.
Joe Mazzulla’s on-brand “Mazzulla-Ball” philosophy of out-shooting opponents from 3-point vary, each in makes an attempt and makes, hasn’t fared effectively just lately. It’s dragged Boston to rank sixteenth within the league in exterior taking pictures share at 36.3% which doesn’t elevate a crimson flag within the eyes of Mazzulla even the slightest.
“I feel it simply occurs sometimes,” Mazzulla mentioned earlier than Boston hosted the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Backyard. “I just like the photographs that we take. I just like the folks which might be taking them. We simply gotta work by it. I feel the factor you could all the time stress extra is the offensive rebounding, the crashing — which I feel has been higher over the past couple of video games. I feel that’s extra necessary than the rest is preventing to get additional possessions.”
When analyzing Boston’s subpar 10-game stretch, the numbers communicate for themselves.
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The Celtics, since their Dec. 1 first loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, have been one of many worst groups within the NBA at taking pictures the three ball, rating twenty second at 33.5% — they’re connecting on 16.7 of their 49.8 threes throughout the stretch. It’s anchored Boston and Monday night time’s loss to the injury-riddled Orlando Magic with out Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner was a first-rate instance of the difficulty at hand.
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Regardless of holding a 15-point lead within the second half, the Celtics collapsed and bought out-Mazzulla’d by a solid of little-known Orlando position gamers. Boston shot 24.2% from deep vary, making solely 8-of-33 makes an attempt to a 39.4% displaying from the Magic. The margins, a significant level of emphasis in Mazzulla’s in-game ideology, haven’t confirmed Boston to be the identical crew that ended final yr’s common season because the second-best 3-point taking pictures crew (38.8%) within the NBA.
Then once more, it’s nonetheless (very) early.
“I by no means have a look at the chances,” Mazzulla admitted. “I by no means have a look at what the man is taking pictures. I all the time have a look at the standard. And to me, that’s an important factor is are you able to combat to get the quality-type shot that you just wanna get, no matter what it’s. So truthfully, I don’t pay a lot too consideration to the chances as I do the standard over an extended time period.”
The Celtics opened the season taking pictures 40.7% from three, second solely to the first-place Cavaliers, by their first six video games in October.
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To date, the results of Boston’s blemished go-to power haven’t had a drastic influence because the Celtics stay the No. 2 seed within the Japanese Convention with a robust 22-7 file. Nevertheless, the lack to readjust when the hand isn’t scorching from past the arc may snowball into a bigger concern if Boston doesn’t flip the swap.
