The Celtics are betting that a quieter part of their offseason plan could end up changing the way their offense looks.
A lot of the attention has gone to Boston’s center group and the way it fits into a possession-heavy approach. Neemias Queta, Mitchell Robinson and Luka Garza give the Celtics three bigs who can work the glass, especially on the offensive end, while also bringing different finishing and screening tools to the table. Queta and Robinson can run the floor and finish at the rim, and Garza brings the kind of touch and three-point shooting he showed last season.
What may matter even more, though, is what those centers can do before the ball ever reaches the action. Their screen-setting stands out as a potential difference-maker.
Last season, Queta led the league in off-ball screens set per 100 possessions. Garza was right behind him in third. Garza also ranked fourth in the NBA in points per possession directly off those screens, and Queta finished in the top 20 despite his high volume.
Robinson, who was with the Knicks last season, didn’t crack the top 10 in either category, but he still landed in the top 20 in both. That suggests his role in Boston could grow even more in that area, with his screens helping create clean looks and easy finishes.
That kind of movement could give the Celtics a different kind of offense next season. They lost some major on-ball shot creation, but they can still build efficient possessions by leaning into other strengths. Last season, they made a habit of taking the easiest available advantage, and this is another one they seem ready to press.
If Boston uses off-ball screening from the center spot the way it appears ready to, it should help the offense in two ways. Defenses will either have to chase the action and open up space for the ballhandlers, or they’ll overcommit to stopping the initial movement and leave Boston’s creators with simple passes to make. Jayson Tatum, Payton Pritchard, Paul George and Derrick White are all capable of taking advantage of that.
The Celtics still have to replace a lot of scoring, volume and usage without JB. He was one of the league’s best tough-shot makers, and that safety valve is gone. But Brad Stevens and Boston are clearly banking on a more varied, more efficient offense to make up for it, and the work done away from the ball could be a big part of that shift.
In Other News...
Celtics Just Lost A Summer Standout In A Brutal Two-Way Twist
John Tonjes summer with Boston had been one of the more encouraging subplots of the Celtics offseason, enough to keep his name in the mix as the team sorted through its two-way picture. The guard, who played in six games for Boston last season after arriving as a second-round pick by the Utah Jazz, also turned heads with a strong showing in summer league and gave the staff a reason to think he might stick around longer.
Instead, his next stop changes the Celtics calculus in a hurry. With Tonje no longer part of the equation, Bostons two-way situation becomes a little less crowded as the front office weighs its remaining options and looks at players such as Amari Williams, Dillon Mitchell and Milos Uzan for the spots still available. [Read more 🡒]
Brad Stevens May Have Just Made Bostons Biggest East Threat Even Worse
Philadelphias offseason has already had a Celtics-shaped edge to it, and the latest move only sharpens that storyline. After Boston sent Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia, the 76ers have kept building around a core that now looks far more dangerous on paper, with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe already in place and the front office clearly betting on a faster climb back into the Easts top tier.
For Boston, the concern is less about one transaction than the way the ripple effects keep stacking up. The 76ers pushed the Celtics to seven games in last seasons first round, and now they have added another layer of star power to a roster that already had plenty of it. If the pieces fit the way Philadelphia hopes, the path back through the Eastern Conference could get a lot steeper for the Celtics. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Fans Just Got The Rival Scenario They Feared Most
The Eastern Conference just got a lot more complicated for Boston, with Philadelphia reshaping itself around a move that instantly changes the balance of power. However the rest of the season plays out, the Celtics now have to prepare for a rival that looks very different from the one they expected when the schedule was set, and the ripple effects go well beyond one marquee addition.
For Boston, the real unease is in what comes next. The Celtics will see this new version of the 76ers often enough to get a close look, and the possibility of a postseason collision adds another layer of pressure to every meeting. What had been a familiar rivalry suddenly carries a far more uncomfortable edge, and that is exactly the kind of scenario Celtics fans were hoping to avoid. [Read more 🡒]