Celtics Offense Doing Something This Season Never Done Before in NBA History
The Boston Celtics offense isn't just good, it's historically good.
The Celtics entered the 2022-23 season as one of the favorites to take home the championship and they certainly have looked the part so far. Boston seemed poised to be a defensive-minded squad -- even without the services of Robert Williams to open the season -- after finishing last season with the best defense in the league.
Boston's season hasn't gone as expected and the team's defense looked shaky to open the campaign, but the squad's offense has been absolutely firing on all cylinders. Through 13 games the Celtics are averaging an insane 119.5 points per game to lead the league.
In digging even deeper, if the season were to end today the Celtics would set a new NBA record for team offensive rating in a season. Boston currently has an NBA-best offensive rating of 120.2. The 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets currently have the record for offensive rating in a season at 118.3.
Offensive rating is an advanced measurement of the number of points a team would score in 100 possessions. The Cavaliers currently sit in second place this season with an offensive rating of 116.7 themselves.
Boston as a whole has been impressive and as a team has shined but the biggest reason for the squad's success to this point certainly is the play of Jayson Tatum. The young star is averaging a career-best 32.3 points per game on insane efficiency and even has cemented himself in the Most Valuable Player conversation. Jaylen Brown has been impressive himself and also is averaging a career-high in points at 25.3 per game.
The Celtics will look to continue their offensive red-hot streak Monday night when they welcome the Oklahoma City Thunder to TD Garden with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
Further Reading
Here's Three Prop Bets to Consider Ahead of Celtics-Thunder Showdown
NBA Teams Should Worried After Jayson Tatum's Latest Comments After Win
Here's Where Celtics' Jayson Tatum Landed On NBA's Latest MVP Ladder
The Top 5 Plays from Friday's Celtics-Nuggets Game
Here's Where Marcus Smart Lands On NBA's First DPOY Ladder of 2022-23 Season