Lack of Composure

[Roy H.]

Grant Williams was ejected.

Joe Mazzulla was ejected.

Tatum got a technical.

Tatum and Williams were repeat offenders last year in terms of complaining to refs.  It can become a distraction.  Are the early technicals a concern going forward?

[mobilija]

Its a thing, for sure. Carried over from last year.

It's a mental hurdle that the team is going to have to overcome, a step in their maturity process. I don't think it will be easy for them. We will see how quickly, if at all, they will be able to overcome it. Gonna take some discipline.

This team has always had fragility and that was apparent in previous year's implosions. Its attempted to being solved by the last few years of personnel decisions based on who they've decided to bring in. So far this year those decisions have resulted in good growth pattern for the team and you can see the confidence. We Will see if they can maintain that confidence and keep their egos and composure in check.

[nebist]

Agreed. It’s a problem. The refs were inept last night, but Tatum and Grant both have a (deserved) reputation as incessant complainers, and it doesn’t help them out.

[slamtheking]

Agreed. It’s a problem. The refs were inept last night, but Tatum and Grant both have a (deserved) reputation as incessant complainers, and it doesn’t help them out.

officiating ineptitude doesn't excuse the constant complaining nor the lack of defensive effort or garbage offense that they played.

[Smartacus]

If there was one thing that Coach Udoka did early in his coaching tenure, it was calling out the team and particularly Tatum for complaining to the refs. It was a risky move for a first year head coach trying to build trust with the locker room but it was the correct move since it's so clearly an obvious flaw in Tatum's approach to NBA Basketball, and most importantly it was effective since the complaining was significantly curbed in a relatively short amount of time.

During the first game against Philly I noticed that Coach Mazzulla was at times looking like just another player when he was complaining to the refs about Embiid. Hands out wildly gesticulating, eyebrows raised, etc. not the cold dispassionate look of a professional that I personally prefer in a head coach, and a look that Ime did fairly well.

If Ime's departure leads to a step backwards in the team's ability to play through adversity then it could be a real blow to Boston's championship aspirations.

[Yuckabuck33]

Agreed. It’s a problem. The refs were inept last night, but Tatum and Grant both have a (deserved) reputation as incessant complainers, and it doesn’t help them out.

Is Tatum's frustration justified, as he is not refereed like the superstar he is. What other players on Tatum's level treated like he is?

[Roy H.]

Agreed. It’s a problem. The refs were inept last night, but Tatum and Grant both have a (deserved) reputation as incessant complainers, and it doesn’t help them out.

Is Tatum's frustration justified, as he is not refereed like the superstar he is. What other players on Tatum's level treated like he is?

The frustration may be justified.  The acting out isn't.  It's something he needs to unlearn.

[No Nickname]

I've said it before, but I'm glad Tatum got T'd up.  I hope they keep doing it until he gets it through his head that he looks foolish and it's not helping his case.

That childish little hand wave is so dismissive of the refs.  Like "You don't know what you're talking about!" 

He's gotta stop that.  It's idiotic.  NBA2K should have that move programmed into his avatar it's become such a feature of his. 

Seriously, he's gotta grow up.  I don't blame him for being disgusted, or even arguing calls.  Go for it.  But that stupid hand wave has gotta go.

[Who]

It will be an interesting barometer in the coming weeks for judging the new coach. Can he restrain the players lack of discipline in like Udoka did? Or does he fail to have the command of the players to bring them back in line? To be focused on the game, not the referees.

[MarcusSmartFanClub]

It’s hard for fans to understand how these guys can’t maintain composure, as we have higher standards at our jobs. Imagine freaking out physically if Marge in payroll sends the wrong email? It’s also hard for us to understand complaining or holding out on a $100m deal.

Silver doesn’t care about temper tantrums until it hits the NBA’s wallet. I’m not sure how fans can push for these changes without boycotting or spending less. I love the Celtics and hate adult temper tantrums.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Agreed. It’s a problem. The refs were inept last night, but Tatum and Grant both have a (deserved) reputation as incessant complainers, and it doesn’t help them out.

Is Tatum's frustration justified, as he is not refereed like the superstar he is. What other players on Tatum's level treated like he is?

The frustration may be justified.  The acting out isn't.  It's something he needs to unlearn.

Meh, Tatum's "acting out" wasn't out of the ordinary, it was normal reaction any basketball player has under similar circumstances. The referees were out of line. Mazzulla was also questionable, maybe not the 1st tech, probably he was looking for one at that point, but the ejection seemed absurd. More so when you consider it was from a referee uninvolved in the situation. Just seems an odd time to call this out. More than any other time I've seen, it's been mindboggling to me the way refs have been calling techs on Tatum this year.

Hasn't it been a point of emphasis to allow players to have an emotional reaction right after the play? The techs are coming very quick and for frivolous reasons. Or has something changed?

Grant I didn't see, but more than anyone in the past couple of years, Grant is the one I think has been full of himself once he gets on the court. Now, I understand his frustration when he gets called many fouls against physical and bigger offensive players, many times in unwarranted manners. But then you add how he carries that to the bench, showing up the coach more often than I'm comfortable with leads me to believe there's something there that needs to change for him.

All this aside, once I saw Grande and Scal were making fun of the Bulls in the first few minutes of the game I knew Karma was about to catch up.

[86MaxwellSmart]

Tatum is constantly getting fouled with no calls...Wish he could get the calls that Harden gets--who flops a lot of the time. Tatum doesn't flop. Refs SUCK so there's that--and NOW they have it out for him League Wide.

[MarcusSmartFanClub]

Agreed. It’s a problem. The refs were inept last night, but Tatum and Grant both have a (deserved) reputation as incessant complainers, and it doesn’t help them out.

officiating ineptitude doesn't excuse the constant complaining nor the lack of defensive effort or garbage offense that they played.

Ding ding ding. Complaining about refs/calls is utterly ridiculous and childish. Grown men that can’t keep their cool.  I hope they start kicking players out to curb this nasty habit.

[jpotter33]

Agreed. It’s a problem. The refs were inept last night, but Tatum and Grant both have a (deserved) reputation as incessant complainers, and it doesn’t help them out.

Is Tatum's frustration justified, as he is not refereed like the superstar he is. What other players on Tatum's level treated like he is?

The frustration may be justified.  The acting out isn't.  It's something he needs to unlearn.

Meh, Tatum's "acting out" wasn't out of the ordinary, it was normal reaction any basketball player has under similar circumstances. The referees were out of line. Mazzulla was also questionable, maybe not the 1st tech, probably he was looking for one at that point, but the ejection seemed absurd. More so when you consider it was from a referee uninvolved in the situation. Just seems an odd time to call this out. More than any other time I've seen, it's been mindboggling to me the way refs have been calling techs on Tatum this year.

Hasn't it been a point of emphasis to allow players to have an emotional reaction right after the play? The techs are coming very quick and for frivolous reasons. Or has something changed?

Grant I didn't see, but more than anyone in the past couple of years, Grant is the one I think has been full of himself once he gets on the court. Now, I understand his frustration when he gets called many fouls against physical and bigger offensive players, many times in unwarranted manners. But then you add how he carries that to the bench, showing up the coach more often than I'm comfortable with leads me to believe there's something there that needs to change for him.

All this aside, once I saw Grande and Scal were making fun of the Bulls in the first few minutes of the game I knew Karma was about to catch up.

Yeah, Tatum didn’t deserve the T, and Joe didn’t deserve to get thrown out. This is especially true when you consider the fact that they gave Vucevic a completely different standard.

Will be interesting to see if they rescind any of these. Not sure how you justify those two T’s when not being consistent. Though I’m sure the NBA will find a way to protect their “quality” officiating brand as they always do.

[LilRip]

Tatum is wired in this year. I expect more techs because he’s not as “chill” this year. The Mazulla techs, I didn’t see.

But boy, that was a horrendously called game. Even if you set aside the T’s (let’s assume all were warranted), the C’s got some disproportionately bad whistles. There will always be a few bad calls thruout the game on both sides but this one was… weak. Now, C’s wouldn’t have won because of the way they shot the ball but the scoreboard wouldn’t have been as lopsided.