The real problem with the Celtics

[iadera]

Lack of agression in defense as well as offence is the biggest problem of this season. That means lack of attitude, aproach. An that's on Stevens. I'll repeat that until something changes. Brad just missed to create an identity of this team. I'm sorry I have to say but he failed on this. He's great in tactics, with biggest playbook in NBA, but there's just something more than tactics, that coach needs to do. Chemistry!

[gouki88]

How many Kyrie bashing threads do you plan on making? Can we just have one superthread that you guys can comment in so the rest of us don’t have to see it? Seriously are the other 30 threads not enough??

There's never enough threads repeating the same points! Especially those that are based on no facts, and more on subjective opinions

It's just boring at this point. The weird personal vendetta some have against Kyrie is ridiculous.

Can't blame him if he leaves. I probably would want to get away from this fanbase

[ozgod]

I think the real issue is Brad failing all season to deal with this divide between the vets and the young players who want/need more playing time. In hindsight Gordon coming back really effed up this team in terms of the balance and the distribution of minutes and touches. Then the demotions (of Gordon himself, of Jaylen and of Terry) must have been and must still be tough to deal with.

It's probably easiest for Terry to deal with it given Kyrie was clearly going to come back no matter what, but it must be difficult for Jaylen to get demoted for Smart and/or Mook, who were both on the bench last season, while Tatum gets more minutes and more usage, meanwhile losing minutes to Gordon who couldn't hit the side of a barn door the first month. And even though realistically Gordon probably knew he was far from his best at the time he got demoted, it must weigh on his shoulders a lot, the fact that he's on the bench, struggling, and costing the team $35m a year and costing his young teammates shots and minutes they had last season.

I think all that disrupted the team's chemistry, the togetherness, the trust. It comes out now and then but it's very brittle - a couple of losses and it looks like it falls away significantly. It disappears as soon as they are put under the pump by the opposition. First they miss a few shots, then it affects their defense, and then the whole thing compounds. How many times this season has this team gone behind by 20+? Then all the finger pointing. Think of how often the team's chemistry, togetherness, playing for each other, owning each person's shot as if it was their own, not showing resentment at their minutes, etc. has been brought up by players, I think the togetherness only lasts as long as they are winning. Really good teams, the togetherness, the effort, is greater in times of adversity.

It's Brad's job to prepare the team that he has, to play each game with the same level of effort, and to hold players who aren't putting in that effort accountable. But Ainge is sitting tight because he doesn't want to lose his assets for an AD trade, so he's prepared to sacrifice this season if needed, which probably limits Brad's ability to do that.

[iadera]

↑ Agree. ↑

[celts55]

I think the real problem is two fold.

First, defense has been terrible. Way to many wide open 3's, uncontested drives, offensive rebounds.
I can only attribute this to a lack of effort.

Second, for some reason this team seems to go away from what's working or the hot guy.
Don't know how many times I've seen Tatum scoring well at the start of a game, than he ends up with 9 total attempts at the end. Why stop going to him if it's working. Or Brown and others are taking it strong to the hole, no one is stopping them, and they go back to throwing up quick 3's.

I really don't understand this team at all.

 

[KGs Knee]

Chemistry, effort, and coaching. Those are the three main problems (in some order).

This team will either get it together this season, or they won't. But changes are coming this summer, and maybe that is also part of the problem, the guys know not all of them are sticking around, and clearly not all of them are handling it like professionals.

[KGBirdBias]

I think the real problem is two fold.

First, defense has been terrible. Way to many wide open 3's, uncontested drives, offensive rebounds.
I can only attribute this to a lack of effort.

Second, for some reason this team seems to go away from what's working or the hot guy.
Don't know how many times I've seen Tatum scoring well at the start of a game, than he ends up with 9 total attempts at the end. Why stop going to him if it's working. Or Brown and others are taking it strong to the hole, no one is stopping them, and they go back to throwing up quick 3's.

I really don't understand this team at all.

Bingo...its like Stevens doesn't know the pulse of his team. He can't seem to figure out what motivates them. I hate when Tatum has it going, he either comes out or others start going hero.

[Silky]

.

If Rozier didn't play we still lose, so the problem isn't Rozier. Baynes is important, but he doesn't control the ball or have that great of an impact.

so by that logic, if Kyrie didnt play we would still lose.

So it isnt Kyries fault

[Silky]

His me-first attitude detracts from the team environment.

I dont necessarily disagree.

Once of the reasons I do not want to sell the farm for Davis.
Or am not overly concerned about keeping Irving long term (although in no [dang] way do I want Rozier running the PG spot long term either)

I would love to see the team continue to build around Brown and Tatum while staying very competitive now.

[CroCorvus]

well, Kyrie seems different after all star break. he seems more serious, more stressed, def not enjoying the game.
he is the best player but he doesn't seems like clear cut leader of this team
because of that, I don't buy it this is all his fault... unless, the team already knows he is leaving. if that is the case, I doubt it is, we should forget this years palyoffs...   

[CroCorvus]

the thing with Stevens is he lets the players to work out any problems they have. he holds them as accountable grown men. but this usually takes time, and when they get it right, the time passes and it could get late. I hope the team rights the ship because I really like this team.
hope we get one big a la Baynes via buyout

[ozgod]

well, Kyrie seems different after all star break. he seems more serious, more stressed, def not enjoying the game.
he is the best player but he doesn't seems like clear cut leader of this team
because of that, I don't buy it this is all his fault... unless, the team already knows he is leaving. if that is the case, I doubt it is, we should forget this years palyoffs...

They've lost 3 games in a row that probably has something to do with his demeanor.

[PhoSita]

It's not just one thing.

It's a lot of things.

[Rosco917]

Kyrie's attitude, demeanor is cancerous. Plain and simple that's the real problem no one wants to say it though because fans want to keep him.

His approach and body language to the game and team is glaring. This is a dispirited bunch and they haven't won a game since beating Philly and Detroit. I wonder why

Why wasn’t his personality cancerous last year when they were winning 16 in a row? If his personality kept the team from winning, it would have happened last year as well.

When Kyrie first came to the Celtics he showed humility, he shared the ball. Look at his numbers last year in the first 30 games during that winning streak. It took a year for Kyrie to morph into the "Uncle Drew" Kyrie and cause hard feelings on this team. Kyrie is embarrassed with the play of his team, and they must feel it. 

[footey]

You could see the concerted effort last night to move the ball a lot.

Toronto was on fire last night, shooting nearly 50% from 3.

We were ice cold.

Yes we could have played better defense. But really feel that last night debacle was not so much guys giving up, but rather guys unable to stop a hot team.

Our biggest defensive problems were not doubling up on Kawhi in the post, and not covering Siakim on corner 3s.

We can beat Raptors in 7 game series.

Let’s all take a deep breath and focus on beating Blazers tonight.