The Rafters Pod Ep. 77: What’s Wrong With The Celtics?

The 2021-2022 NBA season for our Boston Celtics started in a firework display. Early habits in that game expose what’s wrong with the Celtics through their first 6 games. The Celtics fell in double overtime 138-134 against the Knicks. From there Boston went on to go 2-4 through that span getting blown out twice and playing two overtime games. The Celtics can’t seem to get out of their own way with blown leads, ignorant offensive flow, and little use of bench depth. Justin and Liam sit down this week to dissect this bloody start to the Celtics season.

Jayson Tatum has looked far from the perennial star we’ve been accustomed to these last couple years. His unwillingness to pass out of bad shot selection has cost the team valuable possessions in close games. New head coach Ime Udoka hasn’t shied away from suspending Marcus Smart and criticizing Jaylen Browns inconsistencies. Yet, he hasn’t appeared to hold Tatum accountable for his poor play. Poor play that is happening seemingly more often than not.

Justin points out, Udoka rarely utilizes the bench they spent the off-season developing and bolstering in free agency. Players who held prominent roles last year are getting 15 minutes or less. Jabari Parker will score 13 points in 17 minutes but not play the next three games. These tenancies stifle development for young players and wears out the starters with 40 minutes a night.

It’s a small sample size but it’s a reason to worry. Something is definitely wrong with the Celtics and if it doesn’t change soon, we could see some drastic moves made. Liam and Justin break down their red flags so far to see if these are fix-able problems. Is this a coaching issue? Is Tatum taking steps back? Tune in to episode 77 of The Rafters Podcast. Brought to you by Couch Guy Sports and Shocked Energy