The Boston Celtics are expected to take a step back without Jason Tatum next season, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t leaning towards their strengths.
In the past four seasons, the Boston Celtics have finished with their first or second best record in the Eastern Conference. After trading Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in a cost-cutting move, the Celtics are expected to take a step back after losing Jason Tatum for months in Achilles’ tears.
However, “a step back” from being a favorite in the finals means they can be featured in playoff photos. Jalen Brown and Derrick White were excellent two-way players, and Boston was able to maintain much of that depth.
Plus, the team can maintain their identity as one of the most prolific shooting teams in the entire NBA.
In each of the last two seasons, the Celtics have taken more shots from deep than anyone else. Certainly, there are floor spaces like Porzingis and Al Horford, so it was rare that they had sub-average shooters on the floor, but they made the most of their skill set.
With Tatum, perhaps the best player of the entire season, Boston is still expected to lean towards an established style and should be successful.
“I think people are underestimating how difficult it is to compete against this Celtics style,” he said. Athletic Zack Harper.
“In the three seasons under Joe Mazzulla, he had 3-pointers of 47.9, 47.0 and 53.5% of shot attempts, which was the highest volume three-pointer in the league in the last two seasons.
The team doesn’t have a shortage of shooters as Brown, White, Payton Pritchard and Samhauser are still on the roster.
In exchange for the holidays, Boston added Anfernie Simons. He took more shots at a better percentage than last season’s holiday.
“They didn’t lose many external fires, the main staples of attack attacks,” Harper added.
“They managed to get Anfernee Simons and Chris Boucher. The Simons are a 38.1% 3-point shooter. With a catch-and-shooting three-point attempt, the Simons are a 41.3% shooter. He’s suited to this style.
Boucher is by no means an elite shooter, but last season he managed to replace Horford with Selford’s offense, earning 36.9% of his attempts.
Simons is included in recent trade rumours, but he fits Boston’s playstyle, but depending on when Tatum comes back, the Celtics can continue to do so much in running at the weaker Eastern Conference.