The Boston Celtics have been in a back-and-forth rut for several weeks now, leaving almost everyone watching wondering if they actually have a chance to make some noise come playoff time, or even make the playoffs at all. Boston has been battling to land the fifth spot in the East, playing musical chairs with teams like the Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks just to get over .500 and bridge the gap in their 32-29 record.
It seems every week their chance at the playoffs changes with all their inconsistencies. With the recent trade of Daniel Theis and the addition of new clutch players like Evan Fournier, the team chemistry seems off and they can’t find their stride. As a result, we haven’t been seeing the Boston Celtics basketball we know and love.
My solution? Stop relying so much on Jayson Tatum or Kemba Walker to have a great game. It seems the only way Boston gets a win these days is if one of their starters has at least a double-double.
The bench needs to step up and start contributing more and that doesn’t necessarily mean just stepping up on offense. More importantly, they need to step up defensively to shut down the stronger teams in the league. If they work together as a unit and find that team chemistry with the help of their newly drafted players, I think it will lead to more consistent wins.
They have all of the elements to be a great team with rising stars like Payton Pritchard and Robert Williams, who are in their second and third seasons respectively. Williams in particular has been showing up this season, most notably when he led the team in rebounds for three straight games back on March 26th-29th per ESPN.com.
Celtics growing pains
Another issue the C’s face is their lack of experience, both with each other and in the NBA overall. With an average age of 25 on their roster, any seasoned squad of NBA veterans will roll over them, assuming teams like the Nets or the Lakers can keep their fully stacked rosters healthy. The fact that the Celtics may only have a shot against top conference teams if they rely on multiple injuries from their opponents doesn’t exactly reassure confidence in a championship anytime soon.
"I believe in the guys in this locker room. I think we can find that fight. I know we can do it." Jaylen Brown discusses what needs to happen in these last 10 regular-season games to help us ignite our "inner flame."https://t.co/6QBfX33zt8 — Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 28, 2021
Despite having some seasoned vets like Walker and Tristan Thompson, this team needs more time to develop and grow with each other. Most hampionship teams are not built overnight and their issues go deeper than the stat sheet. As Jalen Brown said in the Tweet above, they need to find that fight. They need something that’s going to help them gain the momentum to light that “inner flame.” The fire inside this team needs a blast of lighter fluid if you ask me. What do you think?
Comment below the changes you think the Celtics need to make their team more successful. Also, read up on Ryan Beatty’s articles for more NBA news and information.