Boston Celtics: How lack of bench scoring could be a big problem

The Boston Celtics are off to a great start to the 2018-19 NBA season, but the one thing they need to improve on is bench scoring.

The Boston Celtics have the third worst scoring bench in the NBA and the worst in the East. Prior to Monday night’s game against the Phoenix Suns, their bench has a total of 327 points in 199 minutes. Below them is the Houston Rockets (326) and the Utah Jazz (320).

Excluding Enes Kanter, the Celtics do not have a bench player who is averaging more than 6 points a game.

Against Golden State, Alec Burks went off for 20 points. Against the Spurs, Patty Mills went off for 20. Whilst on the contrary, no member of the Celtics bench has hit 20 points in a game yet.

Similarly against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Charlotte Hornets, both Larry Nance Jr and Devonte Graham scratched 15, respectively. Only twice this season has a Celtics bench player scored more than 13, Carsen Edwards against the Wizards (18) and Marcus Smart vs the Spurs (16).

Do you think off the bench scoring is the Boston Celtics’ biggest problem? Or merely a minor blip that injuries to Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown, Enes Kanter and Romeo Langford have enforced?

Let’s take a look at the numbers:

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Boston Celtics Bench: As a Group.

• As a group, over the first 12 games, the Boston Celtics bench has averaged 27.2 points, almost 4 points less than next the next in line Philadelphia 76ers (31.2) and 17.8 points less than the highest scoring benches of the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons (45).
• On average the Celtics concede 36 points per game to the opponents bench. Resulting in an outscoring of 36-27.2, bench-wise.
• In the last two games the Celtics have been run deep into the fourth quarter by the Warriors and the Kings. The Warriors bench, much thanks to Alec Burks, outscored their Celtics counterparts 42-17, which led to Golden State leading the Celtics with 1:39 to go in fourth. Earlier in the season, the Bucks bench outscored Boston’s 37-8. The Cavaliers bench won their contest 40-24. San Antonio’s won theirs 62-43, as did Dallas’: 42-20.
• There have been five occasions this season where three or more players have scored 0 points off the bench, and six occasions where four or more players have scored 2 points or less.
• In field goals made the Celtics average 8.8 – the lowest in the East, with the Wizards on top sinking 18.5.

In the East these scoring difficulties for the Boston Celtics bench hasn’t yet caused any heartache for the Celtics, but their first real test could come against the Clippers on Thursday. The Clippers’ bench lead the West in points per game (51.4), field goal percentage (47.5 percent) and 3-point percentage (37.3) and could spell danger for the Celtics.