The Celtics’ ongoing struggles aren’t sitting well with Kendrick Perkins, who spent seven-plus seasons in Boston and won a championship with the organization in 2008.
Perkins was extremely critical of Celtics head coach Brad Stevens and the team after Wednesday night’s loss to the Hawks in Atlanta, and the former NBA center doubled down Thursday on ESPN’s “First Take.”
“Hell yeah, he should be on the hot seat,” Perkins said of Stevens. “Look, this is a sensitive subject for me because you know how embedded I am with the Boston Celtics and the city of Boston. That’s my home away from home. But yes, because I’m watching this Celtics team and they lack accountability.”
The Celtics enter Friday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers with a 15-17 record, putting Boston outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture as the All-Star break approaches.
It’s a far cry from where the Celtics expected to be one season after losing to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals. And Perkins couldn’t help but point to the coach when assessing Boston’s problems.
“When you have an old guy, an old veteran like (Danilo) Gallinari, who lights you up for 38 points (Wednesday night),” Perkins said, “I’m not taking anything away from him because he still can shoot the ball, but you have enough athletic wings — in Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Semi Ojeleye, Grant Williams — to go out there and guard him, and they’re not doing it. It shows me that Brad Stevens is just getting walked over.
“They’re talking about, ‘Oh, it’s not Brad Stevens. That’s not his demeanor. He’s not a guy that hollers.’ Then what the hell are you here for if you’re not gonna hold guys accountable?”
The Celtics have dropped eight of their last 11 games, a stretch that includes both blowout losses and heartbreaking defeats.
There’s still reason for optimism — namely Tatum, Brown and the impending return of Marcus Smart — but something needs to change soon. And it’s up to Stevens to make that adjustment, or else his seat could become warmer in the weeks and months ahead.
