With their numerous departures in the offseason, the Boston Celtics have struggled to start the season, currently sitting in 11th place in the Eastern Conference as of Thursday morning. Through 13 games, the Celtics rank 24th in points for (113.2), 22nd in rebounds allowed (57.7), and 24th in field-goal percentage (44.9%), illustrating how frustrating things have been across the board
Head coach Joe Mazzulla’s rotation remains a work in progress, as he has yet to find an optimal lineup. Although the rotation continues to evolve from game to game, free agent signing Chris Boucher has failed to establish a consistent role in the lineup. Boucher hasn’t appeared in the team’s last four games, with Mazzulla opting to give Neemias Queta and Luka Garza the minutes at center, making him one of the most disappointing Celtics this season.
Celtics’ Big Chris Boucher is Already Out of the Celtics Rotation
One of the emphases of ‘Mazzulla Ball’ is shooting a high volume of three-pointers. Because the Celtics were able to stretch the floor with five capable shooters on the court, they won a championship in 2024.
But with the losses of Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis in the offseason, the Celtics lacked a big man capable of making threes. That’s when the Celtics turned to Boucher, a career 33.9% three-point shooter who made 36.3% of his threes on 3.9 attempts during the 2024-25 season.
His three-point shooting, combined with his solid rebounding ability, made him an intriguing addition. However, Boucher has failed to fill this void and has been unable to make an impact on the court. Through eight games, Boucher is averaging 2.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.6 steals in 10.9 minutes per game, shooting 31.8% from the field and 8.3% from three.
It’s not just Boucher that’s been shooting poorly; the Celtics have been awful from deep this season. Despite averaging the second-most three-point attempts per outing (44.8), the Celtics have made just 33.5% of their threes, which ranks 24th.
The Celtics’ shooting woes showed improvements in Wednesday's win over the Memphis Grizzlies, as they shot 50.5% from the floor and 41.2% from deep. The Grizzlies own a bottom-10 defense, meaning there wasn't an excuse not to succeed, though, leaving time to tell if that performance will be the new norm or if it was an outlier. Despite the team's strong shooting, Boucher was still 0-of-2 from the three-point line.
While it’s still early to count out Boucher as a potential contributor down the road, his disappointing play in limited minutes has been discouraging. If he can't turn things around against the struggling Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, followed by back-to-back outings against the 1-10 Brooklyn Nets, the Celtics might have to consider making a legitimate change.