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Boston Celtics Still A Player Away From Next Level

By Simon Smith

Nov 23, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas (4) celebrates with Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) during the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 23, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas (4) celebrates with Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) during the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 12, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens draws up a play during a timeout for his team in the second half of the game against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Boston Celtics beat the Indiana Pacers 105 to 99. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 12, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens draws up a play during a timeout for his team in the second half of the game against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Boston Celtics beat the Indiana Pacers 105 to 99. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Offensive Strengths

On the surface, the Celtics’ first half of the season has been quite impressive. Here’s how they have fared in some of the important categories:

  • Points per game: 107.0 (Ranked 8th)
  • Three-pointers made per game: 12.0 (3rd)
  • Three-point attempts per game: 32.5 (4th)
  • Three-point shooting percentage: 37.1 (8th)
  • Assists per game: 25.0 (3rd)
  • Turnovers per game: 12.6 (5th)
  • Offensive rating (points per 100 possessions): 108.7 (7th)
  • Passes made per game: 331.3 (2nd)

Just by looking at some of these numbers, it’s clear the Celtics have a team-oriented, flowing offense. Having a high assist rate combined with a low turnover rate is a great recipe for an efficient offense.

This open style of play has led the Celtics to being the third-most proficient three-point shooting team in the league.

New addition Horford’s passing skills have also been on display with his 4.9 assists per game, the highest mark of his career to date. Wings Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley have been the leaders in the three-point shooting accuracy.

Crowder is hitting 2.3 per game at a 42.6 percent clip, while Bradley is nailing 2.1 per game at a 40.9 percent strike rate.

Thomas Turning Heads

But running the show and leading from the front all season has been Isaiah Thomas. He currently ranks fourth in the league in scoring, posting 28.4 points per game at an impressive 45.9 percent clip from the field.

He also leads the team in assists (6.2 per game) and three-pointers made (3.0 per game.

Most notably, he leads in the league in fourth-quarter scoring with 10.1 points per game. Thomas also ranks seventh in the league in free-throw attempts with 8.4 per game. These numbers all add up to a certain second All-Star Game appearance for the diminutive Thomas.

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