Analyst Sounds Off on Celtics Offensive Approach vs. Knicks: ‘An Abomination’

The Boston Celtics suffered a shock defeat at the hands of the New York Knicks on Monday, May 5. Joe Mazzulla’s team missed an NBA playoff record 45 3-point shots.

During a recent appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up” Tim Legler shared his distaste for the Celtics 3-point heavy offensive approach.

“What the Boston Celtics did last night was an insult to basketball, in my opinion, man,” Legler said. “That’s an abomination, an abomination offensively to play the way they played…What I didn’t understand was why, for literally an entire 18-minute stretch, they played offense like there were three seconds left in the game…You can’t play that way offensively while this lead’s slipping away without figuring out a way to get to a mid-range jumper, something at the rim or free throws. It’s embarrassing.”

The Celtics have built their offensive identity on being an elite 3-point shooting team. Part of that identity is accepting that every now and then, shots won’t fall, and it could cost you a game. However, Mazzulla’s reluctance to change approach when the team is clearly struggling continues to be a lightning rod for criticism.

Boston’s 3-point woes rarely stretch beyond one game. As such, they should be back to their dominant selves by the time they face New York in game two on May 7.

Jaylen Brown Wants Celtics to Attack The Paint

During his postgame news conference following Boston’s loss, All-Star forward Jaylen Brown admitted that his team needs to adjust when shots aren’t falling.

“In those moments, when the other team has got momentum, we can’t just fire up threes to break up the momentum,” Jaylen Brown said. “You gotta get to the free throw line, get to the paint, get to the basket. Maybe an easy two. Hit some free throws. And maybe the next three-pointer feels a little bit better. I feel like we just settled in the second half, a lot.”

Brown has been dealing with a knee injury in recent weeks. Therefore, his effectiveness in the paint and when driving the lane is rather limited compared to his usual high standards. As such, Brown needs his teammates to step up and help pressure the rim when things aren’t going according to plan on the 3-point line.

Celtics Still Expected to Progress

According to an anonymous NBA coach who spoke with Steve Bulpett of Heavy on Sports, the Celtics should still find themselves booking a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals.

“No one’s got anything bad to say about (the Knicks); they squeeze everything they can out of what they have,” The coach said. “It’s just that they don’t have as much as Boston, and, in this league, that almost always shows out over a series. This ain’t hockey, where a hot goalie can steal a series.”