Nobody received more questions about the Celtics’ threes than Joe Mazzulla over the past three seasons. Whether skepticism over the amount Boston attempted or praise for the role they played in the 2024 championship, or more recently, complaints for the impact they had on the aesthetic of the game, Mazzulla would occasionally shift the conversation to the way the Celtics defended threes.
Stopping opponents from taking and making threes exacerbated the advantage that three-point volume created for the Celtics to begin this season. Last year, only three teams held opponents to a lower percentage than Boston’s 35.