BOSTON — After a robust exhibiting out west, the Celtics had an opportunity to get proper at dwelling. Two letdowns later, there is perhaps extra questions than solutions for the defending champs.
The Kings prolonged their lead within the fourth quarter of a blowout on Friday earlier than the Pelicans’ squandered theirs when CJ McCollum narrowly missed an opportunity to win it on the buzzer. Jayson Tatum and the Celtics escaped on Sunday after he missed two game-sealing free throws.
“It’s only a funky stretch, I assume,” Tatum stated. “Shoutout to the Pelicans. They performed very well tonight. I don’t assume they play like that on a regular basis, nevertheless it’s a very good take a look at for us … anticipate all people’s greatest shot … I bear in mind my rookie yr, we weren’t 8-30 or no matter, however I bear in mind after we performed the Warriors, it was an enormous deal. ‘They gained the championship final yr. This can be a massive matchup. This can be a massive sport.’ So simply understanding the place we’re at, our place on this league, and I feel it’s simply gonna make us higher that no matter who we’re enjoying, we gotta anticipate the perfect from them.”
Boston witnessed many staggering taking pictures performances in opposition to them within the first half of 2024-25, Dejounte Murray’s the most recent, and their opponents’ three-point effectivity elevated to 41.2% since New 12 months’s Eve.
The Celtics have additionally struggled to recreate the magic their beginning lineup produced a yr in the past, falling to a -8.9 web score with that group on the ground following Sunday’s slim win. Performances have dropped all around the roster and whereas effort emerged as an issue just lately, the Celtics additionally fought themselves — missed layups, free throws and two weird out-of-bounds performs by Derrick White exaggerating their latest points in opposition to New Orleans.
It’s all created cheap doubt with this crew. Defensive points fashioned early whereas Boston experimented with forcing extra turnovers. They’ve see-sawed making an attempt to plug completely different holes on that finish with the long term defensive numbers admittedly enhancing over final yr. They’ve awaited a regression on offense after taking pictures over 38% final yr to guide the league alongside Oklahoma Metropolis. They continue to be caught nearer to the NBA common now, simply above 36%. That’s made them extra extraordinary regardless of a 28-11 begin and a shot profile that Joe Mazzulla approves.
“Final yr, so far, the offense was really worse from an anticipated foundation, however the precise was higher, and so they have been taking pictures 39% versus 29% (from three) … we’ve got to be higher, nevertheless it’s basically in a coaching camp kind with this explicit group,” Mazzulla stated addressing the offensive manufacturing. “I don’t actually have a solution for that. What I do know is we’ve got to maintain up the method of preventing for the perfect shot, giving up the perfect photographs, making the mandatory performs to win, executing, constructing belief, constructing accountability amongst one another, we simply should proceed to work that course of with one another.”
The variations over final yr ought to have the crew asking extra questions internally because it assesses itself forward of the commerce deadline. Kristaps Porziņģis admitted a number of instances that his return from surgical procedure and a number of accidents since added to the latest inconsistency. He’s quickly improved on offense throughout latest video games, however the Al Horford beginning lineup fared higher to start the yr. Would a switch-up work there?
Video games the place the Celtics appeared slower and fewer athletic than their opponents, together with the Thunder loss, begged for Neemias Queta’s presence in spots the place three wholesome facilities in entrance of him prevented him from enjoying. They may use a depth wing, and have an open roster spot together with restricted commerce flexibility in the event that they wish to make a transfer.
No matter what they do, the top-seven rotation will determine their destiny. We’ve mentioned the variations in comparison with final yr. Sam Hauser, Derrick White and Jrue Vacation’s bumps and bruises have clearly restricted their effectiveness. Jaylen Brown, who handled a shoulder damage, fell to the worst taking pictures effectivity since his rookie season this week as he adjusted to first quarter exits. Tatum, who scored with staggering effectivity within the first half, needed to steadiness taking on with enjoying the best manner.
As a result of that’s how they did it final yr.
It’s clear, on the midway level, that if the Celtics do repeat it gained’t be how they did so final season. Oklahoma Metropolis and Cleveland’s scorching begins have made not less than a number of the Celtics’ postseason path beginning on the highway look inevitable. Possibly that’s for the perfect — heightened consciousness in opposition to these foes and Boston’s dwelling report that’s already worse than final yr’s might provoke this group when the postseason they’re clearly ready for arrives in April. However the habits that arrange playoff success should change into extra constant now, and so they’re nonetheless making an attempt to determine precisely who they wish to be on each ends.
“There are two nice groups within the league which are having historic seasons. They change into they change into the reference level of ‘oh, you’re not pretty much as good since you’re not them,’” Mazzulla stated on Sunday. “They’re nice. Nice groups have historic years and we’re on our personal path that we’ve got to have the ability to work by way of. Simply because we have been this final yr, you possibly can’t take as a right the small print, behavior, execution, togetherness, belief. All that stuff needs to be rebuilt, and I feel typically when you may have the identical crew, we’ve got this expectation that we’re simply gonna choose up there and it’s completely different. Totally different yr, individuals are in several areas, so we’ve got to re-establish that and it’s a must to work that. It simply takes time.”
Currently, they’ve shot fewer threes whereas desirous to be that taking pictures crew from one yr in the past. They’ve struggled to handle opponent taking pictures due to these uncharacteristic performances in opposition to them. The trouble points on protection deliver me again to 2023, and regardless of no dysfunction that clearly bothered that group is seen this time round, the final lesson from that spring about how pink flags throughout a seemingly rock-solid common season can pop up later would possibly show relevant. Mazzulla defended that crew’s statistically robust protection all yr till admitting, down 0-3 within the Japanese Convention Finals, that they misplaced their defensive identification.
Whereas that wasn’t the problem on Sunday, step one towards righting the ship might come from a jolt. My thoughts goes towards an Oshae Brissett or Lonnie Walker IV reunion. Each gamers might infuse wanted vitality, whether or not by way of rebounding or taking pictures, and so they grew to become well-liked throughout their stays in Boston. They’d additionally come at half-off minimal salaries and luxurious tax hits, although Walker would require a buyout from his Lithuanian membership.
Issues haven’t felt proper to start 2025, a part of it evaluating themselves to the excessive commonplace from a dominant 2024 run fueled by urgency, half coming from the pure problem in recreating that. Then, there’s a scarier mixture that they’re not pretty much as good and the league has caught up. The reality is a few mixture of all 4 components.
Regardless, this latest stretch ought to function a wake-up name that hasn’t completely hit them. They’re getting there, as Mazzulla acknowledged on Sunday.
“The last word praise is we’re 28-11 and these are the sorts of conversations that we’re having,” he stated. “So, it’s an attractive place to be in. I’m critical, I feel it’s nice. It’s a terrific commonplace and a terrific expectation to have and we’ve got to ship. So, everyone knows that … what’re we the third crew within the league now? Which isn’t nice, nevertheless it feels like a morgue in right here and that’s the way it ought to be, due to the place we’re making an attempt to get to. It’s the final word praise and we simply proceed to work by way of it.”
