The Case Against the Celtics As 2024 NBA Champions
Since Joe Mazzulla took over as the Celtics head coach, Boston has focused their offense on three-point shooting. Leading the league with an average of 42.7 threes attempted per game, the Celtics can put up points quickly. And with the talented players they have on their team, most of the time, it’s hard to defend them when they’re knocking down their shots from beyond the arc. However, when the three-ball doesn’t fall for the Celtics, their offense becomes stagnant, and they have shown flashes of forcing the issue even when their shot isn’t falling. In addition, Boston has struggled on offense when teams have played them physically. In games against the Timberwolves and Thunder early in the year, the Celtics found it challenging to create offense against physical defenses. Although they’ve improved as the season has progressed, it’s worth noting that physicality rises to another level when the postseason comes. Lastly, Mazzulla received plenty of criticism following last season’s Eastern Conference Finals loss due to his lack of adjustments in the series against the Heat’s Erik Spoelstra. And while he’s shown to have made strides in the second season as the team’s coach, it will remain an area of concern until Mazzulla can meet the expectations of this team.
