It is hard to understate just how different this year's version of the Boston Celtics looks compared to last year's team. They gutted their roster and rebuilt it with younger and cheaper players. They, at least on paper, don't appear to add up to a championship-caliber team.
Last season, the Celtics led the NBA in 3-point attempts per game, launching 48.2 threes on average. Depending on who you ask, that was either exciting or irritating to watch. Either way, Bill Simmons of The Ringer—who's a Celtics homer—expects Boston to double down on that controversial strategy next season.
According to Simmons, he expects the Celtics to shoot at least 50 threes per game and even break the single-game 3-point record by attempting at least 70 threes at least once. That might seem far-fetched, but with them having far less talent than last season, they need an equalizer.
Assuming they shoot at least 37% from three on that kind of volume, the math would work out in the Celtics' favor. After all, taking that many threes means they would have to play faster. Moreover, many teams don't even take 40 threes, let alone can afford to get into a shootout with a team that takes far more.
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Doubling down on threes might be their best bet to stay competitive until star Jayson Tatum recovers from an Achilles tear. Tatum could potentially be back in March, giving Boston some hope that he could help transform them back into a contender.
In the meantime, they will have to make do with a roster that isn't nearly as talented as last season's team and features one of the worst big man rotations in the NBA. They should still be able to stay afloat thanks to Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Anfernee Simmons.
He has quietly averaged nearly 20 points per game over the last five years and could help them in the short term as an elite shooter. However, ahead of the trade deadline, they could ship him out for a starting-caliber center such as Chicago Bulls big man Nikola Vucevic.That is dependent on the Celtics' potential 3-point strategy helping keep them afloat.
All in all, Simmons' expectation that the Celtics will attempt at least 50 threes per game seems realistic. It may be a controversial strategy, but it's also a smart one for the Celtics if they want to remain relevant.