New season, same issues: 10 Takeaways from Celtics/Pacers

#1 Third quarters are STILL a problem

The below Tweet is three years old.

The Boston Celtics had just lost 106-101 to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. Brad Stevens was still the head coach. We’re three years, two head coaches, and an NBA finals appearance removed from when I posted that Tweet. Yet here we are, still talking about third-quarter struggles and how the Celtics can’t seem to start the second half on the right foot.

Against the Indiana Pacers, in the quarter-finals of the in-season tournament, the Celtics lost the third quarter by 14 points. Boston shot 3-of-10 from deep, was outrebounded 12-14, and outscored on the interior. We’ve seen this story too many times, even if we narrow the scope to this season.

At this point, it feels redundant to say they need to figure things out. They’ve been needing to figure it out for three years.

#2 Poor perimeter shooting

I’m not anti-three-pointers. I like the fact the Celtics have incorporated more interior play into their offensive system this season, and I think the balance, for the most part, is right where it should be. However, there has to be some self-awareness, too.

As a unit, the Celtics shot 29.3% from deep on 12-of-41 shooting. They went 34-of-56 inside the three-point line. 11 of Jayson Tatum’s buckets came from two-point range, and so did 12 of Jaylen Brown’s.

You can’t expect the Celtics to go away from their perimeter game totally. Their offense relies on spacing, and being a threat to fire from deep is a core principle surrounding that threat. However, when it’s apparent it isn’t your night, maybe tone down the perimeter offense and look to feed what is working and is having consistent success.

I’m not saying to take 25 threes. That’s far too low of a number also to keep the floor spaced and the defense honest. 35-38? Sure. If you know it’s not your night, and the Pacers’ intensity is impacting your ability to get clean looks, then switch it up. Part of the problem is becoming too predictable.

#3 Things keep getting ugly in the half-court

Speaking of predictability…Boston’s half-court offense has been a tough watch in recent weeks. Look past the win/loss totals, look past the big scoring nights from one or two guys in the rotation, and focus on the execution….