A “Quarterly” Assessment of a Brilliant Boston Quarter-Season

Offensive efficiency seems to be the theme for Season 77, triggered by a “doubling down” in usage of the three-point shot (nearly two of every five FGA’s emanates from beyond the arc, while the league as a whole makes better than one of every three, .355).

Celtic Nation has a front-row seat to this on-going Renaissance, whose “poster boy” may well be our own Agent “0” (aka Deuce’s Dad), who seems to be reserving a spot on the NBA’s first century “Honor Roll” (TBA 2046).

Here’s a “quarterly” breakdown of offensive efficiency (i.e. “Conversion Percentage”) for Coach Mazzulla’s boys and their worthy foes for Weeks Four thru Six – during which Boston was 11-1 – as well as for the season as a whole … and here’s the data for Games 1-10.

Note: “FTC’s” = “Free throw Conversions” (i.e. the number of offensive possessions that end with multiple foul shots … “techs” and “and-1’s” NOT included.)

Data reflects play from Wednesday Nov. 9 thru Wednesday, Nov. 30.

Q1

Bos: 146 FG’s + 22 FTC’s // 314 possessions = .535 [405 points]

Opp: 122 FG’s + 22 FTC’s // 313 possessions = .460 [306 points]

Q2

Bos: 137 FG’s + 20 FTC’s // 295 possessions = .532 [372 points]

Opp: 144 FG’s + 25 FTC’s // 295 possessions = .573 [380 points]

Q3

Bos: 138 FG’s + 30 FTC’s // 302 possessions = .523 [389 points]

Opp: 123 FG’s + 31 FTC’s // 301 possessions = .512 [347 points]

Q4

Bos: 119 FG’s + 29 FTC’s // 279 possessions = .530 [337 points]

Opp: 118 FG’s + 26 FTC’s // 277 possessions = .520 [315 points]

FULL SEASON

Q1

Bos: 253 FG’s + 48 FTC’s // 569 possessions = .529 [715 points]

Opp: 231 FG’s + 42 FTC’s // 571 possessions = .478 [597 points]

Q2

Bos: 251 FG’s + 42 FTC’s // 539 possessions = .544 [690 points]

Opp: 250 FG’s + 51 FTC’s // 537 possessions = .561 [672 points]

Q3

Bos: 232 FG’s + 56 FTC’s // 552 possessions = .522 [666 points]

Opp: 226 FG’s + 61 FTC’s // 549 possessions = .523 [637 points]

Q4

Bos: 206 FG’s + 59 FTC’s // 513 possessions = .517 [595 points]

Opp: 216 FG’s + 42 FTC’s // 508 possessions = .508 [561 points]

OT

Bos: 6 FG’s + 1 FTC // 18 possessions = .389 [15 points]

Opp: 8 FG’s + 2 FTC’s // 20 possessions = .500 [25 points]

During Weeks 1-3, the C’s Achilles’ heel was Q3, during which they converted fewer than half their possessions over 10 games.

Well, in consecutive games with Washington and Charlotte last week, Boston converted 37 of 52 Q3 possessions, a conversion rate of .712.

Problem resolved!