We are barely two weeks into the NBA season and some are already concerned about the Boston Celtics. The defense is out of sorts, the team gives up too many offensive rebounds, no hustle in transition are some of the major problems so far.
“[Ime Udoka] is trying to change that culture that existed under Brad [Stevens],” said the Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy on this week’s edition of Celtics Beat. “And he’s already frustrated I think. [A loss against the Wizards] was a sure sign. And [the Celtics] deserved [some criticism].”
“[The Celtics] two big low-effort games came at home. What is that?,” remarked Murphy.
You could point to a slew of frustrating statistics to properly illustrate why Boston is so frustrating to watch this year, but the only one that matters is this: The Boston Celtics are currently LAST in the NBA in points per game. Moreover, they are in the bottom ten in defensive rating per NBA.com
Now, playing several overtime periods will lead to leading the league in points allowed. So far Boston has played five overtime periods, only emerging victorious once in those three games (a win against the Hornets is the only bright spot). However, ask anyone with a pulse that watches this team and ask them if they think the Celtics defense is problematic through the first six games of the season. I think most, if not all, could pick out a few issues with it.
To be fair it is still very early in the season. It’s pretty clear this team is going to need some time to gel before we make any grand proclamations. But those wounds from last year are still fresh. The 2020-2021 season was one of the most frustrating seasons in a long time. Hopefully they learned from some mistakes last year and can right the ship soon.
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