The Boston Celtics are slumping to start the season. After a rehaul of the team’s roster under new Basketball of Operations leader Brad Stevens, the team is still looking like last year’s team. New faces, the same problems, and a very worrisome start for the franchise. Ime Udoka came into Boston with the plan to revamp the offense. Expectations were to make the team a better passing team than last season. Boston finished last season 27th in assists, and after nine games the team is trending in the right direction. Udoka has the Celtics as the 19th best passing team in the league which is a major improvement.
The Shooting Struggles
This ranking could be much higher but the team is dealing with very intense shooting consistencies. Jayson Tatum is having the worst of it, as he is currently shooting his career lows. In 22 shot attempts a game, Tatum is shooting 37 percent from the floor, and 27 percent from three. The forward is struggling to hit shots consistently which is hindering the team’s success. It is not unusual for Tatum to start a season slowly, but by these numbers, it becomes a bit concerning.
Tatum is not the only star struggling to start the season with shooting. Jaylen Brown has had three games to which he looked awful shooting the ball. It was so evident of his night and day play that head coach Udoka sat down with the forward and told him that it is “mind-boggling”. The forward has been solid and in most games shoots well. With these random nights where he is a non-factor, it hinders the team’s chemistry and success.
In due time, both players will figure out these slumps, as both wing players are All-NBA caliber talents. Once these two balance out their shooting consistency, the team will start to succeed to the point that everyone expected them to be. Udoka will get his wish to make the team a top passing team by the season’s end once these star players find their shooting rhythm.
The Players-Only Meeting
The Celtics had a team dinner planned down in Orlando the other night, which turned into a players-only meeting. With the team starting off with a 2-5 record, and after the Marcus Smart comments, the team decided to sit down and hash out the early woes. Smart after a bad loss to the Chicago Bulls went to the media and released some displeasure about the team’s performance. He told reporters, “[Brown and Tatum] don’t want to pass the ball. That’s something that they’re going to have to learn.”
After these comments, Smart talked to the team and hashed his frustrations out. Both he and Tatum have talked privately about his comments. Smart is not the only frustrated player, as most players on the team have been showcasing their frustrations with this poor start through the media or their teammates. The Celtics went into the players-only meeting with one goal, to talk about the poor start. Although no media or staff were a part of the meeting, the team seemed to come out of it more united. Since the meeting on Tuesday night. Boston handled both Florida teams in the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat by double-digits. The team’s next game is tonight in Dallas against superstar Luka Doncic and the Mavericks.
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