One of the major talking points for the Celtics this season and in recent years is the number of three-pointers they take. Currently, the Celtics lead with 42.7 3-pointers attempted per game. While the Celtics have had a ton of success and have the best record in the league with this play style, many people still wonder if the style is sustainable long-term. Let’s dive into the Celtics’ three-point shooting trends and ultimately figure out if they shoot too many threes.
Do The Celtics Shoot Too Many 3-Pointers?
Mazzulla Ball
First things first it’s important to understand why the Celtics shoot so many threes. It’s part of the system Joe Mazzulla has developed aka Mazzulla ball. The system emphasizes three-point shooting, ball-movement, and drawing double teams to find open looks. In Mazzulla’s mind, there’s no number of three-point attempts that’s too high. Mazzulla’s style is influenced by analytics and valuing the extra points the three-pointer gives you especially when trying to build a lead. This style is a natural fit for the Celtics roster due to their elite floor spacing.
Furthermore, Mazzulla focuses on drawing double teams which helps the Celtics get great looks from beyond the arc. The Celtics rank seventh in wide open 3-point attempts per game. Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Al Horford are the biggest beneficiaries of open three-point shots, and others drawing double teams. Despite leading the league in 3-point attempts no individual Celtic ranks within the top ten for 3-point attempts per game. Jayson Tatum is the closest; his 8.2 3-pointers per game rank 12th league-wide. This lack of individual dominance is a testament to the Celtics’ unselfish style of play. Ultimately, regardless of your opinion on Mazzulla and his play style, it’s hard to argue with his results.
The Celtics’ Shot Diet
As mentioned before the Celtics lead the league with 42.7 3-pointers attempted per game. It’s important to note that the Celtics are dead last in 2-point attempts per game. Additionally, the Celtics are 26th in shots at the rim per game despite ranking 4th in shooting % at the rim. These stats are concerning because they reflect a lack of balance. The best teams can beat you in every possible way and generally have a more balanced shot diet. This lack of balance especially hurts the Celtics during clutch time and makes their offense more predictable. One of the Celtics’ biggest strengths is their all-around excellence. The next step to that all-around excellence is balancing this shot diet a little more.
All five of the Celtics starting lineup are elite at the rim players and could benefit from attacking the rim more especially on the nights when their shots aren’t falling. That’s the frustrating thing for many Celtics fans; they don’t seem to adjust their playstyle based on how they’re playing. The Celtics will always shoot a lot of threes and are often times reluctant to drive to the basket. The Celtics are 2nd in the league in contested threes but only 26th in open 2-point attempts. This makes no sense the Celtics need to prioritize finding open shots anywhere on the court, not just shooting threes. Notably, Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s contested 3-point frequencies are the highest on the team and near the top of the league.
The Last Word
Ultimately yes the Celtics shoot too many threes. While the style is clearly working diverising the shot chart and attacking the rim more would greatly benefit the Celtics especially come playoff time. This doesn’t have to be a massive change either. The Celtics moving closer toward league average in terms of shots at the rim and moving into the mid-twenties in terms of overall 2-point field goals would be significant. The Celtics’ number of three-point attempts and shots at the rim are two things to follow for the rest of the season.
