Simone: Game 1 of The Finals proves that the Celtics have serious work to do
The Boston Celtics are not on the same level as the New York Knicks, winners of Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Jalen Brunson spearheaded their victory on Wednesday night with his 13 fourth-quarter points on 5-of-9 shooting.
Alongside him was Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists, all while playing some impressive defense on Victor Wembanyama.
Josh Hart chimed in with a very Josh Hart stat line. He only scored three points, shooting just 1-of-5 from the field, but he filled up the box score with 15 rebounds, six assists, four steals, and one block.
OG Anunoby shot 3-of-6 from deep. Landry Shamet shot the same. Mikal Bridges went 3-of-6 from the floor.
It wasn’t always pretty. The Knicks didn’t shoot particularly well from the field. But when the game was on the line, they made plays. Brunson made shots.
That’s what the Celtics have been unable to accomplish for the past two seasons.
In 2024, it was different. Jaylen Brown's bucket at the end of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. Jrue Holiday’s steal to close out Game 3 of the same series. Kristaps Porzingis’ flurry of buckets to open Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Jayson Tatum’s behind-the-back pass to Al Horford in the corner, which kept Boston alive in Game 3 of the ECF.
Boston’s 2024 run was littered with clutch plays and big-time moments from everyone. And though there have been some of those these past two seasons – Tatum’s clutch Game 3 triple against the Philadelphia 76ers this year being the prime example – they haven’t been enough.
The reality is, the Celtics’ shot-making hasn’t been where it’s needed to be.
Joe Mazzulla can – and should – carry blame. Tatum and Brown, too. Even Brad Stevens, as this year’s team was clearly not constructed to compete.
But to win in the NBA, you have to make shots. This year’s Knicks, even when they haven’t technically shot efficiently, have made shots. They’ve made the ones that have counted.
And as the Celtics have floundered for the past two seasons, they just haven’t done the same. There’s a reason New York is in the Finals and the Celtics are watching on TV.
But Game 1 – and these playoffs as a whole – have also revealed Boston’s need to play catch-up.
Depth has never been more important in the NBA. You need to have guys who can play at every spot on your bench. This year’s Knicks check that box.
Shamet just got real Finals minutes. Jose Alvarado and Jordan Clarkson each had their shot to make an impact, too. Miles McBride got on the court. Mitchell Robinson. Mike Brown played a 10-man rotation in the Finals.
The Western Conference finals were similar. The San Antonio Spurs kept things pretty tight, but they ran four or five deep on the bench at times. Dylan Harper, Keldon Johnson, Luke Kornet, Harrison Barnes, and Carter Bryant earned time. Mitch Johnson even went to Jordan McLaughlin in a pinch when De’Aaron Fox was out.
In the first round of this year’s playoffs – not the second, not the Conference Finals, not the Finals – Mazzulla kept the rotation short. He bounced back and forth from Baylor Scheierman to Hugo Gonzalez to Jordan Walsh to Luka Garza to Nikola Vucevic. But it always came back to the regulars.
Is part of it on Mazzulla to trust some of those guys more? Absolutely. But it’s also on the Celtics to add more depth, especially from a creation standpoint.
Tatum and Brown need more offensive help. Derrick White didn’t have it this year. For some reason, the ball wasn’t in Payton Pritchard’s hands as much as it could have been. And outside of that, all the Celtics had was a bunch of youngsters who were fighting for minutes all season.
They need more clutch shot-makers. More guys who can create for themselves. More guys who can play big-time minutes when their name is called upon.
Some of that will come from internal development. Empowering Pritchard even more. Trusting that the Scheiermans, Walshs, Gonzalezs, and Ron Harper Jr.s of the world will improve.
But if Boston wants to win a championship in the near future – arguably the hardest era ever to win – it needs to add. Now.
Because they aren’t the Knicks. Based on the shot-making New York has displayed all postseason, and even in Game 1, when their overall efficiency waned, the Celtics aren’t in the same ballpark right now.
