Celtics

7 stats to show how this Celtics season compares to the franchise’s best

Boston's offense is performing at historic levels this season.

By Peyton Doyle

March 3, 2023

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The Celtics are one of the top contenders in the league a year after making it to NBA Finals. But how exactly does this Celtics season compare to others in the franchise’s 77 year history?

The 2022-23 Celtics’ current winning percentage (71 percent) would only be the 20th-best in team history, but that’s just the way it is when a franchise has 17 championships and an all-time winning percentage of 59.2 percent.

This Celtics season still stands out though amongst the rest in a number of different categories, ranking in the top-10 in team history in several statistics, both offensive and defensive.

Let’s take a look at where exactly the Joe Mazzulla led Celtics have been excelling and where they fall behind teams of Celtics past.

Shooting

The 2022-23 Celtics are shooting the lights out at nearly every spot on the court so far this season. This season’s team is in the top five in team history in 2PT percentage, 3PT percentage, and FT percentage. 

The Celtics are shooting a team record 56.3 percent from inside the arc this year after shooting a then franchise record 54.7 percent on twos last season. From deep, their 37.9 percent mark is the fifth-best for a Celtics squad, and their 82.4 percent hit rate at the line is the second-highest for a Boston team.

Rebounding

The NBA began tracking offensive and defensive rebounds during the 1973-74 season. The Celtics’ 35.4 defensive rebounds per game this season is the highest figure in team history since that data became available.

On the offensive glass, though, this team has struggled overall, grabbing 9.6 offensive rebounds per game. That figure is the seventh-lowest of any Boston team.

Assists and turnovers

This Celtics team is one of the best in franchise history at taking care of the basketball, turning the ball over just 13.4 times per game. That figure is the third-lowest in team history behind the 2018-19 and 2017-18 teams that had 12.8 and 13.3 turnovers per game respectively.

Boston as well has a top-15 mark in team history this year for assists per game with 26.3. This combination has led them to have an all-time season in terms of assist to turnover ratio.

The Celtics’ 1.96 A/TO ratio this year is the second-best in franchise history, trailing only the 2018-19 team.

Fouls

Ever since the start of last season, Boston has been one of the most conservative teams in the league in terms of fouling their opponents. The 19.1 fouls per game the Celtics commit this year is the second-fewest in team history after last season when they committed 18.5 fouls per game.

This commitment to fouling less has given the Celtics a strategic advantage as the league continues to improve at free throw shooting as a whole. The league average FT percentage of 78.1 this year is the best in league history.

Opponent assists and turnovers

One of the main issues the Celtics have faced this year is the number of turnovers they are able to generate. This year Boston opponents average just 12.6 turnovers per game, which is the second-lowest number ever for a Celtics team. 

This year’s Celtics squad is also allowing one of the worst assist to turnover ratios in team history. This season, Boston opponents earn 1.82 assists for every turnover they commit, the third-most allowed in franchise history.

When Boston does get turnovers however, it often capitalizes like on this Marcus Smart play.

Opponent shooting

Another statistic the Celtics are struggling in from a historical perspective is opponent shooting.

This season the Celtics’ opponents are shooting 53.3 percent from inside the arc, the second-highest mark in franchise history. When their opponents extend their range to beyond the 3-point line, they shoot 35.5 percent, the ninth-highest allowed in a Celtics season.

It’s not just from the field either that their opponents are shooting well. Their 77.2 percent opponent free throw percentage this year is the eighth-most against a Boston team.

Opponent rebounding

This Boston team has found historic success this year, keeping their opponents off the offensive glass. The 9.4 offensive rebounds per game the Celtics allow this season are tied for the fewest in team history.

Now, part of that low mark could be attributed to the lack of misses that their opponents have this season, but when the ball does bounce off the rim the Celtics have been successful at keeping it away from opposing offensive players.

When it comes to their opponents’ defensive rebounding though, these Celtics haven’t been as stifling. The 34 defensive rebounds that their opponents average this year are the fifth-most in Boston history.