The Celtics shot profile has changed. Their philosophy has not.
The Celtics are third in the NBA in mid-range field goal attempts, taking nearly five more than they did last season, when they were last. They have come at the expense of the shot people thought Joe Mazzulla loved more than anything, 3-pointers.
The Celtics are last in corner 3-pointers attempted, taking three fewer than last season. They still lead the league in above-the-break 3-pointers, but they're even taking two fewer there.
Mazzulla had insisted from the beginning that he never preached 3-pointers over any other shot. He said what he has always said about his offense; that what he wanted his players to do was create advantages and make the right reads when they did. Whatever good shots those led to didn’t matter.
It just so happened that Boston had five guys who could take, and make, 3-pointers at a good clip in their starting lineup. Then they brought three guys off the bench who were pretty good at making them, too. The advantages Boston created naturally led to 3-point attempts.
Of course, there were some nights where the Celtics fell in love with the shot. There were some when it got a little excessive. But by-and-large, the shots Boston took were the product of the mentality Mazzulla preached.
This year’s team is built a bit differently, and the guys who remain after the summer contract purge have found that certain adjustments were necessary to be effective. In particular, Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard have found new homes in 2-point land, and the Celtics offense is thriving.
Both Brown and Pritchard have more than doubled their mid-range attempts from last season. Pritchard has quadrupled his non-restricted paint attempts. Both were on display against the Indiana Pacers, especially in the second quarter as Boston flipped an 11-point deficit to a 14-point lead.