Getty Joe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics suffered their worst defeat of the season at the hands of the Golden State Warriors on December 10.
Speaking on CLNS Media’s post-game show, Nick Gelso revealed his belief that interim head coach Joe Mazzulla had failed to ensure his Celtics team was prepared heading into the game.
How much of the blame should Joe Mazzulla & Celtics coaching staff be putting on themselves? @CLNS_Nick says “A LOT”
Full show t.co/aam1fFF8OR #GSWvsBOS
“I can’t help but think they were unprepared. This was a massive coaching malfunction. Joe Mazzulla had them unprepared today. They weren’t prepared. They came out of a friggin time out and turned the ball over,” Gelso said.
As a team, the Celtics shot just 30% from three while also committing 10 turnovers, yet it was their inability to consistently penetrate the Warriors’ defense that ensured Boston would be unable to play their usual style of basketball. Of course, Jayson Tatum’s poor offensive night was also a hammer blow to the Celtics’ chances of success, as their star player simply failed to find his groove against a versatile Warriors team that is looking to get their season back on track after a slow start.
Jayson Tatum Accepts Blame For Celtics Performance
Against the Warriors on December 10, Tatum shot just 28.6% from the field, 22.2% from deep, and 57.1% from the free-throw line, as he struggled to counter Golden State’s defensive game plan to limit his impact.
Speaking to the media following the game, Tatum accepted that he needs to play at a higher level and accepted some of the blame for Boston’s sixth loss of the season.
“27 games, 24 of them have been great, and you know, two or three off nights. I just gotta be better. I missed a lot of lay-ups, missed some open threes, things like that. So, you know, there’s nobody to blame, you know, but myself. I gotta be better to help the team win. So, you know, it’s not anything on the coach’s or anything like that,” Tatum said.
Despite his poor showing against the Warriors, Tatum has been playing at an MVP level this season, averaging 30 points, 8.1 rebounds, and four assists per game while shooting 47.2% from the field and 36% from deep, as such, we should not expect Tatum to struggle to the same extent he did on December 10 moving forward.
Kendrick Perkins Heaps Pressure Onto Tatum
While Tatum may have accepted the blame for his poor outing, both fans and media alike were quick to question his MVP credentials after failing to impact a potential preview of the 2023 NBA Finals, with former Celtics champion Kendrick Perkins leading the way.
Once again the Warriors reminding my big dumb ass that it’s LEVELS to the shit. I mean they are KICKING the Celtics ass if great fashion. Tatum looked scared as hell tonight! Y’all stay out my mentions and Carry the hell on…
“Once again the Warriors reminding my big dumb a** that it’s LEVELS to the s***. I mean they are KICKING the Celtics a** if great fashion. Tatum looked scared as hell tonight! Y’all stay out my mentions and Carry the hell on…,” Perkins tweeted.
The Celtics will now turn their attention to the LA Clippers, who they face on Monday, December 12. Celtics fans will now be hoping that Boston can bounce back quickly and continue working toward making their West Coast road trip a success so that we can all look back on the loss to the Warriors as a blip on the radar.