"Joe Mazzulla squeezed 56 wins out of a roster that was projected to win 40 games and is among the favorites to win NBA Coach of the Year because of it. His staff's consistency during the regular-season, ability to develop young players, and the team's willingness to play hard on a night-in-night out basis should not be ignored."
"But, neither should the fact that the playoffs have been a completely different story in recent years outside of the 2024 title run. More often than not, these Celtics have been eliminated by lower-seeded teams over the last four years."
"The Celtics once again led the league in 3-point attempts in both the playoffs and the regular-season, and a league-high 43.8 percent of their points came from 3-point range. They were a good 3-point shooting team during the regular-season, but not elite as they once were. They were below average percentage-wise during the playoffs."
"They lost Jrue Holiday and Al Horford, who are both career 37-percent 3-point shooters. The way that Kristaps Porzingis was able to space the floor with his multi-level scoring was transformative for the Celtics offense. He's gone too. Plus, as they've showed consistently over the years, there are going to be nights when the 3-ball doesn't fall and they need to find other ways to win. This team shoots the most threes in the league, but they don't get to the line often and they struggle to get points in the paint."
The Celtics finished the regular season with 56 wins under Joe Mazzulla, exceeding expectations and earning recognition for coaching consistency and player development. The team also played hard consistently and showed positive growth during the season. In the playoffs, results differed sharply from recent years, with elimination by lower-seeded teams occurring more often than not outside the 2024 title run. Key concerns include heavy reliance on three-point attempts, a drop from regular-season shooting quality to below-average playoff percentages, and the loss of Jrue Holiday and Al Horford, both career 37% three-point shooters. With Porzingis gone, floor spacing and offensive transformation are reduced. The team also struggles to score in the paint and does not draw many free throws when three-point shooting fails.
Read at Boston.com
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