Boston Celtics guard Derrick White. Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Celtics star airs frustrations with Boston's biggest criticism — and he's right

By Adam Taylor | Last updated Sep 13, 2025 3:07 PM ET

Under Joe Mazzulla, the Boston Celtics have become an incredibly high-volume three-point team. Last season, they averaged a league-leading 48.2 three-pointers per game.

With such a lopsided shot distribution, Boston quickly gained a reputation as a team that simply "shoots a lot of threes." And while that is somewhat true, that reputation overlooked all the nuance that went into how the Celtics generated their offense.

During a recent episode of the "White Noise" podcast, Celtics guard Derrick White aired his frustrations over how Boston's offensive system has been viewed.

"I hate when people are like, 'You guys do shoot too many 3s,'" White said. "We had a team where spacing was everything for us. And when we created space, when we drove, when we attacked, we were creating those 2-on-1s and we were getting looks that every team in the NBA would take, especially from the shooters that we had shooting the shots."

The Celtics' system generated quality looks

While it's true that the Celtics' three-point attempts have been a key factor in their approach, it's their screening and ball movement that have led to success.

According to NBA Stats, 22% of the Celtics' three-point attempts came when players were "open," meaning a defender was four to six feet away. A further 24.8% came when the Celtics shooter was "wide open" with a defender more than six feet away. Therefore, 46.8% of all of Boston's threes last season came in space. Any team is going to take those types of shots. Mazzulla's roster was just fortunate enough to have elite shooting at every position, thus making the approach viable.

The Celtics' system will change this season

Boston's roster will look considerably different in the upcoming season. Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Luke Kornet have all left the franchise this summer. Oh, and Jayson Tatum will miss the season following an Achilles tendon injury.

Therefore, spamming threes is unlikely to yield the results we've seen in recent years. That should lead to a change in approach from the coaching staff. We're more likely to see the Celtics embrace down-hill playmaking and interior scoring.

While the three-point shot will still be a viable weapon, Boston's critics may need to find a new drum to bang as the team moves toward a more balanced shot profile.

Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor is a sports journalist based out of the UK. Adam has been covering the NBA for nearly a decade with a core focus on the Boston Celtics. He currently holds bylines with Yardbarker, SB Nation and USA Today

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