The Boston Celtics have found every loss under the microscope given their open goals of returning to the NBA Finals this season, and Friday night’s defeat at the hands of the Brooklyn Nets after being up 28 points on their Atlantic Division foes was no exception.
A frequent critique has been the team’s over-reliance on the 3-point shot. And while as a team the Celtics shot about what one would have liked them to in terms of 29 out of 84 attempts being from beyond the arc, star forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown going a combined 3-of-15 could be taken as an example of such criticism.
Buy Celtics TicketsAsked by the media after the loss about the team’s shot selection, Brown replied via CLNS Media that “it’s a balance. Any time a team gets more shots than you, or (your team) gets more turnovers, it’s a recipe for disaster.”
Celtics Lab 173: On whether rest, seeding, or meshing matters most for the Celtics’ stretch run with Evan Valenti https://t.co/8eEFMnkxbL
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 3, 2023
“So, no matter what the shot, as long as we shoot more shots, we’ll be in good shape to win,” he added. “Tonight, that wasn’t the case, I think they got a lot more shots than us.”
11 more shots than the Celtics’ 84 attempts, driven more by Boston’s 19 turnovers to Brooklyn’s dozen than rebounding or fouls, which the Celtics won the battles for in both cases. “There’s a balance between trying to find between taking 3s and getting to the basket a couple of times,” related the Georgia native.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
