Clarity is one of the most important conversations to have for a team. In basketball, it's important for the coach to establish roles throughout the team: transparency helps with short and long-term goals. For instance, the team must provide a blueprint for the team, with everyone understanding what they bring to the table.
Who is the primary scorer? The second or third option? Best defender to start the game and end? Who provides the best spark offensively and defensively off the bench? The great teams in high school, college, and the NBA identify who does what. For the Boston Celtics, it appears that they haven't found clear answers on what role everyone plays.
On Friday night, the Celtics defeated the Atlanta Hawks 114-96. But that victory came after questions about the Celtics' efficiency this season. Currently, they sit at 10-9: a stunning record for a team that was expected to compete with the Golden State Warriors. Last season, the Celtics enjoyed a season in which injuries gave them a one-year pass to re-scramble their original plan. The injury to their high-priced free agent star Gordon Hayward would supply a question mark to who would take the second scoring option behind Kyrie Irving.
In that process, their young talents, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, grew up fast and succeeded, with Tatum emerging as one of the next stars in the NBA. A knee injury to Kyrie Irving in March of last season would supplant Terry Rozier as a leading scoring option for the remainder of the season, and the entire duration of the Celtics playoff run.
Now, Kyrie is healthy and so is Hayward. This left the head coach Brad Stevens scrambling to provide an answer to the tough questions to start the season. For example, who is the go-to scorer? Who is the second scoring option? Who needs to come off the bench: Hayward, Jaylen Brown, or Tatum? Is there room for Rozier to thrive in similar circumstances but with fewer minutes?
The lack of clarity among these roles would translate to the Celtics being a total mess on the court. It's also proof that talent means nothing without the scheme, coaching, and knowing your role as a player.
So far, the only remedy the Celtics have used was moving Hayward to the bench. But outside of that, the Celtics are still stumbling. Their analytical stats are telling as well. They are dead last in shooting percentage with shots eight feet and under, 26th in offensive efficiency, 27th in team floor percentage, and 25th in points per game. The stats are unflattering, but it's emphasizing the point that the Celtics searching for clarity in the roles provided for each team member.
In theory, Irving and Hayward should handle the primary scoring while Brown, Tatum, and Al Horford round out the core. But it hasn't played out that way. Hayward is still working himself back from that devastating leg injury last season. Tatum and Brown emerged as rising stars last season and maybe in their opinion, it's ridiculous to have their games take a step back just to satisfy others. And lastly, Rozier has to deal with going from “Scary Terry” to only getting limited minutes. The issues the Celtics have aren't first world problems, but it can make for a disappointing season.
Thankfully, the first quarter of the season doesn't determine the fate of a team. It's important to remember that Stevens did more with less last season, and he has plenty of time for corrections. On paper, the Celtics are still the second most talented team in the NBA. But it doesn't mean anything if the talent doesn't perform and have clarity about their roles.
Follow Us
Subscribe