The Boston Celtics have fallen to 13-13 on the season after a slow start that led to an even slower finish Sunday afternoon.
An early afternoon game against the 6-17 Washington Wizards seemed to be the perfect opportunity for the Celtics to bounce back from a disappointing loss to the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.
Instead, the Celtics stumbled through all four quarters, losing their second straight game in surprising blowout fashion 104-91.
Boston is considered a contender but has not been able to find consistency in any facets of their game. There is a feeling among followers of the Celtics that they’ll get it together sooner or later, but sitting at .500 doesn’t show that their improvement will come soon. So, is it time to panic?
Some would say yes, especially after getting blown out by a team who struggles to guard a parked car. Then there is the fact that the Celtics have a lot of bright spots that can lead them into a winning streak any given week. The highs and lows of the Celtics is complex.
Kemba Walker isn’t playing great, but Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are. As for the rookies, Aaron Nesmith isn’t playing, but Payton Pritchard is one of the best young players. The defense is not great and there isn’t anything to balance that out. Their bench hasn’t been the elite group of years past.
The Celtics have a lot of mini-fires that aren’t overtly hazardous but combined they turn into a massive fire. When putting out a fire, everyone has to carry their own bucket.
Tatum and Brown carry their’s night in and night out. Pritchard and Daniel Theis perform in their roles every game they are available. The rest of the roster has had problems understanding and executing their roles.
Walker’s role when signed wasn’t to be an actual max guy, at least for the duration of his contract. He was signed to be the leader and character guy for the young core. His purpose was to show Tatum, Brown, and Marcus Smart how to be pros and how to do it at an elite level. Walker was expected to give good minutes and possibly be a high scorer for at least the early years in his five-year contract.
Unfortunately for Boston, Walker hasn’t been able to be that high scorer even in the earlier years. He’s had good moments, but his contract does not match his output—especially since his contract is holding Boston from strengthening their bench.
On top of their Walker woes, there are nine players on Boston age 25 or under. It shouldn’t shock anyone that they are inconsistent. The Celtics may need to find another vet who can anchor their bench unit by the deadline.
The biggest problem for this Celtics team is their defense. Boston is 15th in the NBA in defensive rating going into Sunday (via Basketball-Reference). Tristan Thompson hasn’t been the deterring force in the middle like Boston would’ve hoped. Maybe he will round into that role, maybe he won’t. To ease Thompson’s load, the guards have to keep someone in front of them. If the perimeter defense picks up, the Celtics’ big men’s lives will be much easier and their offense will be able to play at a higher pace.
Granted, Brad Stevens coached teams generally play better later in the season, so they may pick things up come late February.
The fact still stands that Boston has now lost four of its last five games to sit at an even .500. Things don’t get immediately easier as the Celtics head home to prepare for a Tuesday matchup against the MVP candidate Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
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