The “frustrating” Boston Celtics were our six-month squad.
Malcolm Brogdon joined the squad we felt could win 65 games. The team we believed was set to finally win a title collapsed under the greatest lights.
The T.D. Boston Garden hasn’t been this energetic since Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen competed and won championships.
After Jayson Tatum’s first-minute ankle injury, this all fell apart.
The Celtics dropped three playoff games at the Garden in 11 days, including the biggest one, Game 7, 103-82, to the Miami Heat.
Heat play Denver Nuggets.
Wow. Start where?
Celtics weren’t championship-worthy. This team never lived up to expectations.
They were good, but this title run was paved in green. Top-seeded Bucks lost. The Sixers faltered again. The Heat nearly qualified.
The Celtics lacked what the Heat possessed.
Fire.
They guarded and cared, but the Celtics were better. Tyler Herro, another 20-point scorer, missed three weeks.
They formed an umbrella-shaped defense zone. The Celtics failed four times.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown often failed to break it.
Ah, constancy. That’s your Boston Celtics’ other term.
Brogdon, who has missed the previous three games with a shooting elbow ligament rupture, was blunt about consistency.
He stated it was defensive.
Brogdon said defense. It mattered. Defense was the team’s strength last year. We were offensive this year. Defense wins. We can score. Our offense leads the league. When you’re not hitting shots…”
Al Horford, the team’s unofficial captain, said this year was tough.
A lot? If he’s referring about Joe Mazzulla’s coaching shift, he’s probably right.
After Ime Udoka’s embarrassing suspension and dismissal for team-damaging behavior, president Brad Stevens was in a bind.
It happened weeks before training camp. Stevens’ task.
Damon Stoudamire, an NBA coach and player, was the logical replacement for Udoka, but Stevens may have been concerned about his relationship with him.
The Celtics started 21-5 and everything was perfect.
It wasn’t. The inconsistent, irritating Celtics ruled.
Good, fantastic, middling, awful, good, great… Just over two weeks.
2022–23 were lost.
The last three games, we thought.
The Celtics dominated Game 5 in Boston, won Game 4 in Miami, and stole Game 6 in Miami.
Our expected team…
Celtics used Tatum’s early injury. More than the injury.
Games 1, 2, and 3 versus the Heat mirrored Game 7.
Celtics seemed perplexed.
Sort of like Mazzulla sounded after the game when asked what went wrong on Monday night, other than Miami being better.
Mazzulla: “We shot 21 percent (really 24) from three-point line.
Nope. The Celtics crumbled when everyone was watching, willing to forgive their “frustrating” season on inconsistency.
Rondo and Pierce returned. They filmed David Ortiz and Julian Edelman.
No use.
All contributed. Sadly, the 2022-23 Celtics did.
savagejacks