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3 Flaws the Celtics Must Improve on After NBA Season Restart

By Alexander Wolz

The Celtics must make some strides to defeat the top dogs in the East.
The Celtics must make some strides to defeat the top dogs in the East. / Omar Rawlings/Getty Images

The Boston Celtics find themselves in a solid position amid the NBA hiatus. Sitting as the third seed in the East, Boston has proven to be one of the league's most consistent performers. However, if the NBA plans on adopting the new 16-team playoff system, the Celtics may face a tremendous first-round challenge in the Philadelphia 76ers.

If Boston plans on making a run at the Finals and overcoming their Eastern foes, they will certainly need to make adjustments when the NBA season returns again.

3. Ball Movement

Isolation play becomes do or die come playoff time.
Isolation play becomes do or die come playoff time. / Andy Lyons/Getty Images

There is no question Boston has some talented individual scorers, including Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. With the three accounting for around half of Boston's buckets, the Celtics will need to find scoring from other places. Assists may be a good place to start. With just under 23 assists per game, Boston sits at 25th in the league in that category. They will need to pass the ball and create opportunities for those who cannot score themselves, particularly big men, to become more of a reliable-scoring hydra with many weapons moving forward.

2. Controlling the Pace of Play

Jayson Tatum may be able to push the pace for the Celtics in the postseason.
Jayson Tatum may be able to push the pace for the Celtics in the postseason. / Jason Miller/Getty Images

Most times, playoff basketball comes down to who can best control the pace of play. For the Celtics, that will be especially important. Compared to the league's top teams, Boston plays with a slower average pace with around 100 possessions per game, struggling against those who push the tempo like Houston and Brooklyn. It will become crucial for Boston to dictate the game, slowing down to enter their calculated style of offense while also preventing teams from penetrating their strong defensive form before it can take shape, as Boston sits in the bottom half of opposing fast break points per game, but boasts the fourth-best defensive rating in the league.

1. Utilizing Depth

Role players such as Brad Wanamaker can become crucial pieces down the stretch.
Role players such as Brad Wanamaker can become crucial pieces down the stretch. / Abbie Parr/Getty Images

Boston has one of the league's most lethal starting lineups, with a positive net rating whenever they are the court, but become vulnerable when moving to the bench. To put that in perspective, the Celtics sit at an offensive rating of 116.5 with Kemba Walker on the court and plummet to 102.5 without him. That impact becomes magnified as more starters leave the court. Further incorporating role players such as Brad Wanamaker and Semi Ojeleye while giving opportunities to others on the bench can make the Celtics an even greater threat, as no bench player outside of Marcus Smart averages over 10 points a game, with only a few averaging over five.