Celtics have nowhere to go but up in the transition game

For a team that had a pair of dynamic stars in their twenties last season, along with several young energetic wings and quick guards, the Celtics did not get many points in transition last year.

They finished 29th in the league in fast break points per game (11.9), trailing only the Milwaukee Bucks (11.8). They were 27th in points in the paint and 25th in points off turnovers while finishing 19th in points per game.

Will the Celtics get out and run more this season, compared to recent years?

“I don’t know, we’re last,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Tuesday. “So, I figure that anything we can do and be a little bit better. I hope that’s the case. It’s a topic that comes up every single year, and what people don’t talk about is the other side of that.

“So, if you do lean into that more, it’s at the expense of something else. I think everything that we do is just a balance, and that’s where it’s like learning your team. What balance are we willing to give up on one thing to be better at something else?”

“It’s never, ‘just get better at this,’” said Mazzulla. “It’s always, ‘if you get better at this, you’re going to get a little bit worse at this and lose the rope on things.’”

The Celtics took care of the ball last year, committing a league-low 12.4 turnovers per game. They put energy into turning their rebounding situation around. After struggling in the beginning of the year, the Celtics finished third in the league in rebounding.

They also remained one of the most efficient defensive teams in the league, finishing fourth in defensive rating for the second-straight year. They allowed 107.2 points per game, which was the lowest in the league, and opponents shot 44.2 percent from the field against them last year.

Running more could change some of those numbers.

“When you look at, for example, last year, we went in with a certain defensive mindset,” Mazzulla said. “And we just thought it wasn’t what was best so we kind of tweaked it, and our rebounding completely shifted from there. One is always at the expense of the other.”

But, tweaking the approach could also create opportunities. The Celtics finished in the bottom-five for fastbreak points, points in the paint, points off turnovers, and free-throw attempts.

Easy looks are rare in the NBA. Free-throws, transition buckets, and paint touches are among the easiest a player can get.

The Celtics clearly value 3-point volume, as they’ve finished in the top-five in 3-point attempts every year since 2023 and led the league in 3-point attempts during the playoffs last year.

With Jaylen Brown out and Paul George, Mike Conley, and Mitchell Robinson coming in, the Celtics will have to form a new offensive identity this season.

Just how much of it depends on running remains to be seen.

“It’s a cost-benefit analysis of what you’re willing to take and give up,” Mazzulla said. “You learn some of that as the season goes on.”

Khari A. Thompson

Sports Reporter

Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.