The Celtics weren’t a whiz-bang offense like the Pacers, Kings, and Warriors. Instead, coach Joe Mazzulla instituted a muscular game plan that reduced the number of passes required to find a good shot. With a five-out alignment, the team didn’t need six passes per possession to crack the defense.
Often, the ball only had to change hands once or twice before it found the bottom of the net. As a team, they were middle of the pack in assists, ranking 14th with 26.9 dimes per night. However, they were only 24th in passes made per game.