Steve Bulpett is a former Celtics/NBA writer for Boston Herald.

- The Celtics AREN'T playing hard enough, but it's not necessarily team-wide. All it takes on a defensive possession is for one guy to not hustle and be in position, and the entire D scheme falls apart. The rotation fails, and someone gets a layup or open 3-pointer.

- I've said Rob Williams shouldn't let the game come to him; he should impose his athleticism on the game -- and he hasn't played well lately, but some of that is on the Celts' failures as a group. He's looked out of position because the C's aren't collectively IN position.

- Grant Williams is another who's hurt by this issue. He's been great at being in the right spot to hit 3s and drive against close-outs, but those opportunities have dwindled as the Celts have too often abandoned their passing/cutting plan for isos and quick 2-man games.

- The coach wasn't the problem last year. And the coach isn't the problem this year.

- The most unfathomable aspect of this to me is the players know what to do and know it benefits the team AND THEMSELVES, and still we see a lack of pace, ball movement and defensive pressure.

- It's not just the coaches getting on them for lack of hustle and focus. The players have been calling themselves out on these issues.

- Let's say it again together: The definition of insanity is repeating the same behavior and expecting a different result.

- This is not to say Ime is totally off the hook. That last remark can apply to him, as well. He hasn't been helped by Jaylen Brown's absence, but this team is begging for a shake-up in the rotation. I'd be giving shooters like Nesmith and Romeo longer looks, but... SOMETHING.

- Looking player for player, Celts have the individual talent to compete.

- With a strikingly similar roster, they went to G7 of the ECF, and, trust me, the Warriors were [dang] happy they got Cleveland instead of the C's in the Finals. How did this team get from there to here? I would suggest the Celtics need to do the forensics on that question before they can know how to proceed.

- Having All-Stars and other high-end talent isn't enough. Those people have to be able to work together properly.