Through the first month of the season, things have gone pretty well for the new-look Boston Celtics. Boston possesses the NBA’s best record, sitting at 13-4, and still has plenty of room for improvement.
“All of us have been adjusting, trying to figure out what this team needs to win,” Jaylen Brown said following Sunday night’s 113-103 win over the Atlanta Hawks. “We’re still figuring it out, but we’ve been winning and figuring it out at the same time. We still have a lot to learn. This team is not a finished product. We still have a lot to improve on. We still haven’t played our best basketball yet, so we have to continue to win games as we get better.”
Aside from their mid-November four-game road trip in which some bad habits resurfaced, there has been a lot to like from the 2023-24 Celtics. The newcomers, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday have made an immediate impact on both ends of the floor as they look the part of the pieces Boston was missing in past postseason runs. Joe Mazzulla has made tremendous strides at the helm in his second year as head coach, and Jayson Tatum appears to be taking that next step, the team has also shown they are capable of closing out games – Just to name a few.
Though the Celtics have shown growth in many areas that have plagued them in years past, one remains a glaring issue: Third quarter execution.
This issue has been evident in each of Boston’s last two games, as they have been outscored 59-39, shooting a combined 13-of-38 (34.2%).
On the season, the Celtics are averaging the fewest third quarter points in the league (25.2) on 42.5% shooting, which is 29th in the league.
Boston ranks 29th in offensive rating in the third quarter (102.1) and has registered a -1.9 net rating (21st in the league).
This has been a chronic issue for years now for the Celtics. It’s a big reason they came up short against the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals and a big reason they struggled last postseason.
“I don’t,” Mazzulla said when asked if he had any idea as to why this is such a problem. “One thing we just try to stress is, can we have a focused, detailed mindset throughout the entire game? I know it’s something that’s hard, I feel like it’s something that everyone in the league struggles with at different points, whether it’s the first quarter or second quarter. But I think we just have to find ways to stay disciplined and focus for the entire game.”
In Boston’s case, it’s more of an offensive problem.
The Celtics have posted the second-highest defensive rating in the third quarter (104.0) and are allowing the fourth fewest points (25.8).
At the end of the day, it comes down to staying focused and having that mindset for a full 48 minutes.
If Boston wants to reach its ultimate goal and raise Banner 18, this is an issue they simply can’t afford to have. This has been an issue for the Celtics for years, and one they need to get to the bottom of if they want to achieve their ultimate goal.
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