BOSTON -- For all that the Boston Celtics did well last season, shooting was widely accepted as one of the team’s shortcomings.
The Celtics were especially problematic when it came to knocking down mid-range jumpers.
While the preseason is indeed a small sample size, the Celtics have shown signs of growth in this particular area and hope to continue along those lines tonight when they host the Brooklyn Nets.
According to NBA stats guru Dick Lipe, the Celtics are connecting on 47.8 percent of their mid-range shots in the preseason, a noticeable bump from what they did in the regular season (37.0 percent) and playoffs (29.7 percent) in which they ranked 27th and dead last (30th), respectively.
There’s no one or two things that one can point to that would explain the improved shooting.
Having Al Horford in the starting lineup has helped space the floor for Boston’s shooters to get more open and lightly contested shots.
Take a look at Avery Bradley. He leads the Celtics in scoring (11.8) in the preseason in large part because he’s shooting a red-hot 66.7 percent (14-for-21) on shots within 18 feet of the rim.
And there’s no real letup when the bench players step on the floor, either.
Terry Rozier has shot 54.5 percent from the field in the preseason which includes a solid 5-for-9 from 3-point range and 7-for-13 on mid-range shots.
Boston’s depth along the perimeter is deeper, stronger, more experienced than we have seen in any of head coach Brad Stevens’ previous three seasons.
Marcus Smart, referred to by Stevens as a sixth starter, has averaged 10.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists. He has made 17-of-26 2-pointers which includes an impressive 8-for-12 shooting on mid-range shots.
Here’s a glance at some other stats to track heading into tonight’s game between the Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets.
FIRST HALF LOCKDOWN: The Celtics have limited the minutes of their starters for the most part to playing just in the first half. So it’s not all that surprising that Boston has been at its best defensively to start games. The Celtics have a league-best 83.8 defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions). That number takes a noticeable dip in the second half, with Boston’s reserves in large part being responsible for the team’s numbers to spike to a defensive rating of 99.4.
ON THE RISE SHOOTING: After ranking among the NBA’s worst a season ago when it came to Effective Field Goal Percentage (Efg%), the Celtics have experienced a noticeable rise during the preseason. Last season, the Celtics’ Effective Field Goal percentage was .488 which ranked 24th in the league. But during the preseason they improved it to .520 which ranks 9th in the NBA.
STINGY DEFENSE: The C’s were among the better teams defensively a year ago, a crown they are not ready to relinquish anytime soon. The Celtics are second in opponent field goal percentage (41.5 percent) in the preseason in addition to being tied for second in defensive rating (91.7).