Last year, the Celtics felt like a juggernaut, wielding the NBA’s most efficient offense and its second most efficient defense.
They locked up the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 in late-March, and the final few weeks of the regular-season felt like a formality. The Celtics had too much depth, too much shooting, and had clearly outpaced the rest of the league.
This year is different. The offensive efficiency has slipped to third, the defensive efficiency has slipped to sixth, and the Celtics’ 3-point shooting percentage has regressed from elite to middle-of the pack. They have dropped to second place in the standings and are in danger of letting the third-place Knicks pass them if they keep playing like this.