ホークスがボストンの攻撃的弱点を露呈

Boston's Curious Case of Shot Selection

Look, the Celtics winning 123-113 against the Hawks on Monday night might look dominant on paper, but I saw some red flags if you're talking pure scoring efficiency. Boston put up 123 points, sure, but they shot a pedestrian 45.7% from the field. That's not the mark of an offensive juggernaut, especially when you consider they were up against a Hawks team missing Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu.

Thing is, the Celtics took 94 shots to get those 123 points. That's a 1.3 points per shot average. For a team with their talent, that number should be closer to 1.4 or even 1.5, especially when they're hitting 20 threes. Too many contested mid-range jumpers felt like empty calories. Jayson Tatum, despite dropping 20 points, only shot 7-for-19. That's 36.8%, and while he makes up for it with other contributions, from a scoring efficiency perspective, it's not ideal.

Dejounte Murray: A Lone Wolf of Efficiency?

Here's the thing with Atlanta: they might have lost, but Dejounte Murray was a scoring clinic. The guy went for 24 points on just 10 shots, hitting 70% from the field and 4-of-6 from deep. That's a 2.4 points per shot clip for Murray, which is elite. And it highlights the difference in approach. While the Celtics spread the wealth, sometimes that means settling for less-than-optimal looks from multiple players.

Real talk: The Hawks' overall shooting numbers weren't great, just 41.3% from the field, but they were without Trae Young, which completely changes their offensive identity. Imagine what a healthy Young could do with Murray operating like that. Atlanta forced Boston into some uncomfortable looks, and while the Celtics' talent ultimately won out, their shot quality dipped for stretches. Boston had 31 assists, which is great, but 20 turnovers are also a killer. You can't be that sloppy with the ball and expect to maintain top-tier efficiency.

The Double-Edged Sword of Boston's Attack

The Celtics have so many guys who *can* score, it sometimes feels like they forget to hunt the *best* shot. Jaylen Brown had 24 points on 10-for-17 shooting, which is solid, and Derrick White added 20 on 7-for-15. Those are efficient nights. But then you have Payton Pritchard launching eight threes, hitting only three of them. It adds up. When you're a contender, every possession matters. They should be looking for high-percentage looks almost exclusively.

My hot take? The Celtics are sometimes too willing to trade a good shot for a decent one, simply because they believe their talent will bail them out. Against lesser teams like a shorthanded Hawks squad, it works. But come playoff time, against a disciplined defense, those inefficient possessions will come back to bite them. They left too many points on the table by not being more selective, and relying on volume over true scoring precision.

I predict Boston will win the Eastern Conference, but they'll struggle to cover the spread in at least two playoff series because of these occasional lapses in offensive efficiency.