Let’s see if I understand Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. Basically, everything is relative to the observer. For example, if you check the box score of the Celtics 117-115 nailbiter in Cleveland, the teams clocked in at a 96.5 pace, meaning that each team had 96 possessions over the 48 minutes of game time. That’s exactly where Boston has been for the year (96.48).
Here’s where relativity comes in. From a wideout view from outer space, you’d think that head coach Joe Mazzulla wasn’t committing to his preseason promise of ramping up the pace. To some extent, that’s true. Boston ranks 25th in transition points and they’re a middling defensive team that generates turnovers at a league average rate.
However, where the Celtics have managed to grind teams is in the halfcourt. In our space analogy, this is what it looks like on the comet. With the fourth most efficient offense in the NBA, the gears in Boston’s offense are not just constantly in motion, but they’re also forcing teams to defend longer into the shot clock.
According to Second Spectrum tracking data, the Celtics shoot 21.4% of their field goals with seven seconds or less on the shot clock. That’s just behind the Rockets who have the ultimate shot maker in Kevin Durant and the greybeards with the Clippers. Most teams’ sweet spot is in that middle 7-18 second range. After an initial screen action, their star player can usually find a shot for themselves or kick out to an open shooter.
For the Celtics, it’s a game of patience and attrition. They’ll put the ball in their best playmakers’ hands, too — that’s usually Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Jaylen Brown — but after that, it’s a matter of everybody reading and reacting to how the opposing defense moves. From there, they’re trying to turn good shots into great shots, and they are the best team in generating open to wide open shots in the league, whether that’s a layup or an open 3.
That deliberate process has made the Celtics’ offense the fourth most efficient in the NBA. Another reminder: that’s most efficient, not prolific. They’re scoring 119.1 points per 100 possessions. Because of their pace, that’s just a hair under 115 points per game (21st).
With a double-digit lead late in the fourth quarter, Boston might have been a little more mindful of killing clock in the clutch and finding a good shot — particularly hunting Darius Garland in a nod to last year’s killer whale approach — but that was consistent throughout the game. Cleveland likes to get up and down the floor at a 102.4 pace, but the Celtics were successful in closing the margin of error, playing at a 94 pace in the 1st, 98 in the 2nd, 94 in the 3rd, and finally 100 in the final frame.
Early in the season, Mazzulla would track how many minutes of perfect Celtics basketball that the team could play. That total would throttle between 24 and 36 in the first couple of games. After a 7-3 stretch with wins over Eastern Conference contenders in Orlando, Detroit, and Cleveland, it’s safe to say they’re getting close to a full 48. Relatively speaking.