The Boston Celtics blew a 19-point lead Monday night in a 128-114 loss to the Chicago Bulls at TD Garden — a defeat that prompted Marcus Smart to call out teammates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
It was an all-around embarrassing misstep that dropped Boston’s record to 2-5, while raising the eyebrows of at least one opponent after the game.
Jeff Goodman, a basketball analyst for Stadium, tweeted Tuesday that an anonymous Bulls player used the word “disconnected” to describe the Celtics.
The Bulls outscored the Celtics 39-11 in the fourth quarter to hand Boston its third straight loss, a concerning development as the team looks to find its footing under first-year head coach Ime Udoka.
The reality, however, is that “disconnected” is the perfect way to describe the Celtics right now. Not only are some of the troubling trends from last season carrying over into the new campaign, but Boston also actually has regressed in several areas, to the point where Smart questioned Tatum and Brown after Monday’s loss for not wanting to pass the ball.
Udoka, who took over as Boston’s coach this past offseason while Brad Stevens ascended to Danny Ainge’s former post as president of basketball operations, has attempted to light a fire under the Celtics, but to no avail. The C’s have lacked energy, effort and a killer instinct through seven games.
Maybe the problems are fixable. Or maybe the Celtics simply are destined for mediocrity with the roster as constructed. Either way, the optics in Boston aren’t great to start the new season.
