1 advantage the Boston Celtics have over every Atlantic Division team

The Boston Celtics' season ended in impossibly disappointing fashion. Billed as the favorites in the East and blessed with a relatively easy path to the Finals, Boston sleepwalked past the No. 7 seed Hawks in the first round and barely outlasted the chronically choking Sixers. It wasn't pretty, but by the time the No. 8 seed Heat and the conference finals rolled around, folks expected Boston to get the job done.

Well, we all know that didn't happen. The Heat jumped out to a shocking 3-0 series lead. Jimmy Butler thumped his chest and the Celtics completely froze under pressure. Joe Mazzulla rallied the troops for three straight wins, but the Celtics were blown out on their home court in Game 7. A potentially historic comeback ended with Boston's heads hanging low as Miami went to the Finals for the second time in three years.

An important summer of reflection has followed. Boston parted ways with their defensive soul and locker room ringleader Marcus Smart in a trade for Kristaps Porzingis, who will bomb 3s from the center spot and anchor the defense with his rim protection. Jaylen Brown later signed a historic extension — five years and $303.7 million — that nobody feels good about after his ghastly eight-turnover performance in the Celtics' season-ending loss.

Boston should, on paper, win the Atlantic Division and probably the Eastern Conference. As we know from the last few years, however, that is easier said than done. Jayson Tatum and company have struggled to get over the hump. Banner 18 has proven to be quite elusive.

Any championship run ideally starts with taking care of business in the division. Of course, Boston holds several advantages in that race. Let's break them down on a team-by-team basis.

Celtics' advantage over Raptors: 3-point shooting

The Raptors finished 28th in 3-pointers made last season. The Celtics finished second in the NBA, behind only Golden State. That alone puts Boston on an entirely different plane of existence. You cannot win in the modern NBA without a reliable presence beyond the arc. The Raptors simply don't have the personnel to hit enough 3s on a consistent enough basis.

Toronto made a weak attempt to solve the issue on draft night, selecting Kansas sharpshooter Gradey Dick, but a rookie role player won't solve the issue in year one. The Raptors also exchanged Fred VanVleet, arguably their best volume shooter, for Dennis Schroder on the free agent market. That's not going to help.

New head coach Adrian Griffin hails from Milwaukee, where the 3-ball is an offensive staple. His offensive philosophies could be a welcomed reprieve from the inflexibility of Nick Nurse, but he can't solve a lack of shooters on the roster. If the players can't hit shots, the coach can't make them.

Toronto has the defensive personnel to combat Boston, but the Celtics were the No. 2 seed last season. The Raptors were the No. 10 seed. That gap probably won't close much in 2023-24; expect the Celtics to once again hold a sizable lead on Toronto in the standings.