The Boston Celtics have been serving up major disappointment the last two postseasons, and if we’re being honest, it all comes back to one glaring issue: they just can’t consistently put the ball in the hoop. Since their 2024 championship run, it’s been premature playoff exit after premature playoff exit. Fans have been blowing up my DMs with questions all offseason, and you know what the biggest one is? How on earth does this team fix its broken offense before training camp even kicks off?
Seriously, These Shooting Numbers Are Brutal
Forget the talk about “good looks” or “unlucky bounces.” When the playoffs hit, you gotta deliver. And these Celtics? They’ve been missing in action. Get this: since the 2013-2014 season, only ONE team, the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks, snagged a championship without being in the top five for Field Goal percentage in the playoffs. One team in over a decade! So, what does that tell you? If you wanna hoist that trophy, you better be sinking shots at an elite level. And Boston has been nowhere near that.
Last postseason, they shot a woeful 43.4% from the field, which ranked them 13th among the 16 playoff teams. Thirteenth! It wasn’t just from the floor, either. They also limped to 13th in free throw percentage. That’s just leaving points on the table, folks. But here’s the kicker that should have every C’s fan pulling their hair out: they were 15th in catch and shoot field goal percentage at 32.9% and dead last in corner three-point percentage, hitting a mind-numbing 24%. TWENTY-FOUR PERCENT! That’s not just bad, that’s historically bad for a team with championship aspirations. The year before, in 2024-25, they weren’t much better, shooting 44.3% from the field, good for 12th. Compare that to the 2024 championship squad, which absolutely balled out at 47% from the field, fourth in the league. The pattern is crystal clear: when the shot isn’t falling, this team is sunk. End of story.
Forget Threes, Can They Even Get a Dunk?
And it’s not even just the three-pointers. You gotta have other ways to score, right? Easy buckets? Nope. This team has struggled big time to generate what I call “gimme” opportunities. Last postseason, the Celtics were dead last in rim frequency, dead last in dunks, and dead last in fouls drawn. Let that sink in. They couldn’t even get to the rim consistently, much less finish strong or force a whistle. What gives?
Beyond that, they were second-to-last in points in the paint and steals. And they were 13th in paint touches. These aren’t just minor nits; these are massive red flags for an offense that’s supposed to contend for a title. You need to apply pressure, get inside, create chaos, and earn those trips to the line. But these numbers tell us they’re doing none of it. It’s a frustrating combination: poor perimeter shooting AND an inability to create high-percentage looks or draw fouls down low. That’s a recipe for another early exit.
So, as training camp looms, every single thing about this team’s offensive approach has to be under the microscope. Celtics fans are hyped for the season, but they’re also expecting some serious answers and major improvements from this squad. It’s time to stop talking about potential and start putting the ball in the damn basket, consistently, if they want to get back to the top.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Celtics Blog.
Leave a Reply