Could the Boston Celtics have a looming ball movement problem lying in wait to sabotage their postseason aspirations? The Athletic’s Zach Harper thinks they might; in a recent NBA power ranking, the Athletic analyst wrote that despite Boston’s impressive play to start the season, “I do have some concerns about the overall structure of their offense, especially late in games.”
“We don’t judge these Celtics by regular-season success,” he added. “They’re measured by whether they compete for (and win) a championship.”
“In the playoffs, I fear we won’t see a ton of ball movement from them unless someone like Jayson Tatum takes over those duties.”
Celtics Lab 227: On Boston's early trends 10 games into the 2023-24 season with Drew Carter https://t.co/UpHbBi8EkA pic.twitter.com/MIcUrzfcWD
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 15, 2023
“That can be tough to balance out with such a gifted scorer,” suggested Harper. “Stagnation is often what hurts Boston’s offense in those big moments.”
Will this team still be haunted by one of its most glaring weaknesses when it counts most? While we have seen signs of growth on that front in this iteration, there’s no way to know for sure until that moment arrives.
In the meantime, as the league’s 18th-best team in terms of assists per game, Harper may have a point — but it is certainly an area the Cs can work on while we wait for the NBA’s 2024 postseason to roll around.
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