The Boston Celtics are in a bit of a funk right now, and it’s got fans talking. But how should we judge this team? Are we comparing them to their own high standards, or to other teams in the league? And what’s the deal with this three-point shooting slump?
Joe Mazzulla brought up an interesting point about how the Celtics are being judged. He mentioned that there are two great teams in the league having historical seasons, and they’ve become the reference point. People are saying, “Oh, you’re not as good because you’re not them.” But Mazzulla reminds us that the Celtics are on their own path, and they need to work through it.
It’s easy to forget that rebuilding habits, execution, togetherness, and trust takes time. We can’t take for granted what the team accomplished last year and expect it to automatically carry over.
The Celtics’ current record is 28-11, which is still pretty impressive. But they’re 7-6 in their last 13 games, so there’s definitely been a drop-off. It’s understandable that fans are frustrated. We want to see our team play good basketball all the time.
But here’s the thing: the Celtics started the season so hot that expectations went through the roof. It felt like they were going to beat everybody by 35 points every night. That’s just not realistic over an 82-game season.
The Three-Point Conundrum
A big part of the Celtics’ recent struggles has been their three-point shooting. In November, they had a built-in 18-point advantage, hitting six more threes than their opponents on average. Now, their opponents are hitting two more than them. That’s a huge swing.
Some fans are calling for the team to adjust their playing style, but that’s not likely to happen midseason. The Celtics have built their offense around three-point shooting, and they need to get back to that high volume, which means playing with more energy.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Celtics’ midseason challenges, tune into the Locked On Celtics podcast for this and much more.
Other Topics in Today’s Locked On Celtics Podcast:
• The impact of the In-Season Tournament on team performance
• Analyzing Jayson Tatum’s comments on playing their best basketball in January
• The challenges of maintaining intensity throughout a long NBA season
