Why are the Boston Celtics so bad at scoring on a zone defense? The Miami Heat’s effective use of zone defense led to their victory over the Celtics in the 2023 NBA playoffs despite Boston being far and away the more talented team on paper. But games are not played on paper, and in the real world, the Celtics struggled to attack the zone and lacked urgency in their offensive plays.
The Heat’s defensive rotations and pressure caused problems for the Celtics. Boston’s inside ball screens and player positioning were ineffective against the Heat’s defense. The Celtics failed to exploit weaknesses in the zone and lacked a cohesive offensive strategy. The coaching staff was unable to adjust and find successful ways to attack the zone throughout the series.
