In a season with no shortage of ills to point to in a search to explain the roots of the Boston Celtics’ ongoing struggles in a campaign the team was expected to potentially contend, one structural issue stands out.
The Celtics have a ball movement problem, and it’s costing the team winnable games. To be sure, so is a lack of consistent effort, awkward lineups forced by questionable roster construction, COVID absences and their extended recoveries, injuries of the more common sort, and a host of other issues. But passing the ball remains a problem for this team on both a structural and practical level.
The difference between the latter two categories is mostly irrelevant for the rest of this season in terms of what can be done about it given the passing of the trade deadline, though there is still time to make inroads on boosting the team’s distribution capabilities on the buyout market.
WATCH: Celtics tie season-high assists vs. Rockets with outstanding ball movement https://t.co/tacIgoZE9v
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) April 4, 2021