On Saturday night, the New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs to capture the organization's first NBA championship since 1973. The Knicks, despite trailing for much of the series, won the series in five games, upending the Spurs and new superstar Victor Wembanyama.

The Boston Celtics were nowhere near the NBA Finals, having been upset by the Philadelphia 76ers in seven games in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

If you want to, the Celtics loss can be written off as simply "that's basketball," and it can be written off because Jayson Tatum didn't play in Game 7 of that series, but if you simply write it off, you're ignoring some learning opportunities. 

So what can the Celtics take from the New York title run?

There's absolutely no doubt about it. The Celtics play a pretty style of basketball. They move the ball well, they move without the ball well, they shoot well from the outside. It's an offense that is built on style and flair and when it's humming, it's really humming and it's fun to watch.

But if those shots aren't falling? If the shots aren't as open and the windows are a little tighter? The offense can fail, which is what we saw in that series against Philadelphia. 

Even though the Celtics took a 3-1 series lead, the three-point shooting woes in losses were pronounced.

Game 7: 13-of-49 from three (27 percent)

Game 6: 12-of-41 (29 percent)

Game 5: 11-of-39 (28 percent)

Game 2: 13-of-50 (26 percent)

The Celtics have to find a way to diversify their offense. It's OK to have the three-point shot be a big part of your game, but it can't be the only part of your game. The C's have to find a way to get things going on the interior, whether that's through a traditional post player or whether it's through a forward who slashes to the bucket. Boston has to be able to have another style of play in its bag, and this year it didn't.

This feels like something you're born with, and not everyone has it: Jalen Brunson does. The ability to be at your best in closing time and the willingness to be aggressive in those minutes.

Brunson does not settle for three-pointers, he attacks the rim, draws contact, finishes at the hoop and isn't afraid of physicality. 

Jaylen Brown has the ability to do that at times, but for the most part, the Celtics have become a jumpshooting team that is unwilling to go inside, and with that comes some collapses or some inability to close out contests. If the C's want to get back to the title position, they have to be willing to not settle. That's easier said than done, and it might require making a move this offseason, similar to when the team acquired Jrue Holiday before the 2023-24 campaign.

Remember to join our CELTICS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Celtics fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!