I’m going to have to be honest here, this is starting to get annoying as hell.
So to see them randomly revert back to that bullshit this week is wildly frustrating.
Well that was not the case last night.
Everyone back outside of Smart.
there was once again more than enough talent to beat the Knicks on your home floor.
We know this because that same collection of talent built an early 15 point lead.
It made a huge run late and had a lead in OT.
That doesn’t mean they always will.
That doesn’t mean it won’t happen again.
Back then it was losses to GS/LAC and a win over LAL before dropping that game to ORL.
This time it was a win over TOR and losses to MIA/ORL before coming home and losing to NYK.
Just gross basketball by everyone involved in both instances.
At their best, there is not a team in the league that can match the Celts ceiling.
The Celts look like a team that has never played the sport of basketball before.
It’s remarkable really.
If Loving And Trusting were easy, everyone would do it.
There are going to be good times and bad when you hitch your wagon to the Boston Celtics.
It’s about perservering through the downs that make the highs so great.
A week ago, were higher than God.
We may as well be at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
For the sake of my mental health, I’d appreciate it if the Celts got their shit together.
Let’s talk about the latest kick to the dick.
Call me crazy, but that’s not exactly a good idea.
Not just because Tatum is your best player, but he also couldn’t miss.
This tells me a few things.
First, his knee is good.
Whatever the load management plan is for him, keep doing it.
The on/offs last night for Rob were crazy.
When Rob and Tatum came out is when the Knicks went on their run.
Every time they were on the floor, the Celts are far superior.
When they don’t, we see this team struggle.
I say we just move on the meat of this blog.
Here’s what I mean by that.
Remember this play at the end of the first quarter?
This may seem like a harmless 2 points at the end of the first.
The Celts still had an 8 point lead right?
But here’s the thing.
This is a situational awarness thing.
Do you think the Celts could have used those 2 points?
Those are mental errors.
Then there was something like this play from Sims.
If you put your ass on someone, you don’t even have to jump.
Again, it’s all in the details.
The Celts didn’t, and they paid for it.
They say role players play better at home, and Im sitting here wondering where it was.
For visual reference…
Not a single positive bench player/DWhite at a -10.
A combined 10-32 for White/Brogdon/Grant is absolutely killer, especially when one of the stars is shooting like shit.
With Grant, his performance against the Raptors seems like a million years ago.
When he’s bad, he’s reaaaallllly bad.
It’s not just his obsession with not taking open 3PA and instead pump faking and turning it over.
What makes it even more brutal is Grant’s individual defense has gone missing.
When he’s not 3ing or Ding, that’s an issue.
It’s no surprise that in these last 3 losses, Grant has been pretty brutal.
Given their frontcourt situation, that’s an issue.
- The 4-14 from Brogdon was bad, but that’s not what bothered me most about his game.
That’s all true.
Remeber that’s what everyone wanted?
Well….where was it?
Did they not just have another 3 minute stretch without scoring?
It felt like they were missing someone who had a feel for the game and what everyone needed.
I think that’s where you sometimes forget the value that Smart brings just as a connector.
- I love Al.
This team would be a disaster without him.
But I also need him to be better.
Too much iso, not enough ball movement, and no defense.
That’s exacly how you cannot play.
- It was almost like nobody on this team read the scouting report on Jalen Brunson.
Hey guys guess what, he wants to get to the paint!
This was yet another example of how bad the Celts perimeter defense has been during this skid.
The Magic guards got tot he rim whenever they wanted and Jalen & Co did the same.
Yeah Smart is out, but there are still plus defenders on the floor.
There’s no excuse for White/Brogdon/Grant/Tatum/Brown to be getting cooked like this off dribble drives.
Until that gets tightened up, these issues defensively are still going to exist.
The Ugly
- Will the Celtics ever learn their turnover lesson?
Look at those last 3 losses: 19/17/22 points allowed off TOs.
It’s losing basketball.
If you play like assholes, you deserve what you get.
It’s that simple.
- Obviously, you know the missed Jaylen FTs kept me up until about 3:37am this morning.
Just horrific misses with the game on the line from a franchise guy.
People get on me for caring so much about FTs, well this is why.
Let’s see it tomorrow night and turn the page.
