The Boston Celtics have had a tough start to the NBA season. They’ve won just two out of seven games and have yet to win their first game at home. Also, they have a -5.8 point differential thus far.
Ime Udoka just took over as their coach and it’ll take some time before everybody’s on the same page. However, the Celtics’ biggest issue seems to be their mindset, as they can’t seem to compete for a full 48 minutes.
Those woes were again at a full display last night. They were up 19 points late in the third quarter and had a 96.4% chance of beating the Chicago Bulls. Somehow, someway, they lost by 14 points.
NBA News: Marcus Smart Throws His Teammates Under The Bus As The Celtics Blow Huge Lead To The Bulls
Celtics veteran Marcus Smart was clearly displeased after such an epic meltdown. But instead of keeping things in the locker room, he went out in public to call out Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum for not passing the ball:
“Every team knows we’re trying to go to Jayson and Jaylen,” Smart told the media. “Every team is programmed and studied to stop Jayson and Jaylen. I think everybody’s scouting report is to make those guys pass the ball. They don’t want to pass the ball. That’s something that they’re going to learn. They’re still learning.”
“We’re proud of the progress they’re making, but they’re going to have to make another step and find ways to not only create for themselves but create for others on this team to open up the court for them later down in the game where they’re always going to have to take those tough shots or take tough matchups when they do get the 1-on-1 or they bring the trap. It’s something we’ve been asking them to do and they’re learning. We just gotta continue to help those guys do that… There’s only so much I can do when the ball isn’t in my hands and I’m standing in the corner,” he concluded.
This isn’t the first time that Smart has shared these kinds of comments and he should know better than to call out his teammates in public. The years go by but the Celtics’chemistry issues just don’t seem to go away.
