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Since returning from the All-Star break, the Boston Celtics have looked like a team that’s struggling to find their identity and have lost four of their last seven games as a result.
The worrying part for Celtics fans is that the team is finding ways to blow big leads and have struggled to put opponents away down the stretch. When speaking on NBC Sports Boston, NBA analyst Chris Mannix shared his concerns regarding Boston’s current plight, labeling them as the ‘Benjamin Button’ Celtics.
“They’re like the Benjamin Button Celtics. They’re doing everything in reverse. Last year, they started the season blowing big leads, playing sloppily, not having late-game execution, and then they figured it out,” Mannix said, “This year, they played great to start the season. And now, it feels very familiar, where you see a 20-point lead that evaporates, late-game execution – that’s not there…This now is a moment of truth or moments of truth for Joe Mazzulla…He’s gotta get in their heads in the locker room; he’s gotta get Grant Williams’ head right. He’s gotta get Rob Williams back on the floor…Rob Williams needs to get out on the floor as soon as possible; he needs to stay out there on the floor. Because, without him, they have no chance of beating any of the top-tier teams in the Eastern Conference.”
The Celtics will hope to bounce back from their recent struggles when they face the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, March 8 in what will be the team’s last home game before they embark on a six-game road trip.
Jaylen Brown Urges Celtics To Up Their Game
On March 6, the Celtics fell to their second straight overtime defeat, losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers after seeing a significant lead dissolve down the stretch. When speaking to the media following the game, Jaylen Brown sent a blunt message to his teammates: ‘we gotta win games.’
“In the midst of the storm, I think that was a valiant effort. But there’s no moral victories in this s***. Like, we gotta win games, period,” Brown said, “And I gotta be better at spots in overtime and through the game, I feel like I rushed some shots that I wish I could have back. But, overall, we just have to have a fighter’s mentality, and we gotta play to win.”
Brown, 25, was an integral piece of the Celtics’ offense against Cleveland, as he stepped into a larger offensive role due to the absence of Jayson Tatum, leading the Georgia native to finish the game with 32 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists on 46.2% shooting from the field.
Eddie House Rips Celtics Recent Play
According to former Celtic Eddie House who was speaking on NBC Sports Boston’s post-game show following Boston’s double-overtime loss to the New York Knicks, the Celtics are struggling to find their identity and are paying the price for it.
“A championship identity is solidified. You are what you are. You know how you’re going to play night in and night out,” House said, “Everybody can bank on one thing you’re going to do. You might do a few other things way better and that puts you over the hump, but what is our identity? At the beginning of the year it was 3-pointers. We’re knocking down 3s, we’re patient, we’re playing with pace and we’re sharing the basketball. And then it became we’re defending, we’re not knocking down the 3. I have no idea. I’m kinda at a loss for words knowing exactly what our identity is. I don’t know. Night in and night out it’s different.”
Boston started the season widely expected to be among the teams challenging for an NBA championship, and until recently they were making good on those expectations. However, if the Celtics want to make it to the NBA Finals for the second straight season, they will need to figure things out quickly. Otherwise, a promising season could turn into one fans will want to quickly forget.
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