The Celtics use basketball’s worst offense

And it’s the best in the NBA

BY DAVID THORPE

Are Jayson Tatum and the Celtics falling too far into isolation offense? JASON MILLER/GETTY IMAGES

The Celtics opened December with a 115-111 loss to the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers. Boston lacked key starters Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, but what really stuck out to me was that they played like an AAU or G-League team. Everyone was jacking contested shots.

Seeing Jayson Tatum shoot with a hand in his face is nothing new, but his shot selection has become more egregious: middle-of-the-floor, 20-foot fadeaways with 10 seconds left on the shot clock. Then, watching disciplined veterans like Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis force shots got me wondering: How do the Celtics have the NBA’s best offense?

Last year, the Celtics posted the best offensive rating in NBA history (123.2) while ranking 28th in drives per game and 27th in passes per game. This season, Boston’s offensive rating would rank fourth all-time with even fewer passes and drives per game.

Henry’s eighth-grade coach would be losing his fucking mind! How can you have the league’s best offense—and be the league’s best team—without driving and passing? Why are they settling for contested shots possession after possession? Who decided to bring back the 1990’s iso-based system?

The Celtics are breaking every rule, unraveling all the lessons of advanced analytics. They’re playing garbage offense, yet the metrics prove no team is more effective. It’s … well, weird.

What is Joe Mazzulla up to?