Celtics still aren't getting to the free throw line: Why Brad Stevens is okay with it

Some of the easiest points in an NBA game are scored at the free throw line. In a league that has steadily turned to the make-or-break nature of 3-point shooting on most nights, getting to the charity stripe is a useful way to counteract the variance of perimeter shooting while also allowing players some rest and defenses to get set.

Yet, as the Celtics have steadily risen through the ranks of offensive efficiency over the past few months, the one area where they have shown little growth is getting to the charity stripe. They still rank 27th overall in the NBA in free throws taken per field goals attempted and have routinely stayed among the bottom five teams in that area over the past two seasons.

The fact Boston has managed to have the best offense in the NBA over the past 20 games despite underperforming in such a critical path to scoring points, on the surface, looks encouraging. There is room for improvement there, so that’s just another reason why the Celtics’ offense will rise up the ranks, right? However, after I asked that question to Brad Stevens on Sunday, he shared some surprising thoughts on his philosophy about getting to the line.

“I really haven’t focused on it a ton other than that we wanted to drive the ball and get to the rim more,” Stevens explained. “But we don’t have a ton of guys that get a ton of free throws. We’ve got some. But if we just force that issue we’re either trying to be something we’re not or trying to make haphazard plays at the rim, that’s when you end up getting blocked, you end up missing kickouts, you end up missing layups, and it goes the other way and they score. So we don’t talk a lot about it. We just talk about trying to make the next right play. And if we’re a low free throw rate team but we’re still a really good offense that’s OK. We just have to make up for it in other ways.”

A closer look at the Celtics’ numbers gives more credence to his stance. Currently, Kyrie Irving is the team’s leader in free throws attempted per game at 3.4, which ranks him 66th among all NBA players. Jayson Tatum (2.9 per game) is the only other Celtic that has cracked the top-100.