Jay Williams questioned the Boston Celtics’ “venom” and “passion” during their first-round NBA playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks.
So, it should come as no surprise the former NBA point guard-turned-analyst once again was left scratching his head after the Celtics dropped Game 1 of their second-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night at TD Garden.
James Harden scored 45 points as Philadelphia overcame Joel Embiid’s absence to beat Boston 119-115, a rather stunning development that flips home-court advantage in the Sixers’ favor and raises additional questions about the Celtics’ killer instinct.
“What an embarrassment for the Celtics,” Williams said Tuesday morning on ESPN’s “Keyshawn, JWill and Max.” “How pitiful. How ashamed. What humiliation for the Boston Celtics.
“The Red Sea has parted for the Celtics to win an NBA championship. The Nuggets and the Suns are beating the hell out of each other in a physical series. You have the Lakers and the Golden State Warriors about to go head-to-head with LeBron (James) and Draymond (Green) and their friendship in Klutch Sports and Steph Curry. You’ve got the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference that you can run through. You were just in the NBA damn championship last year. And you’re telling me that James Harden, without Joel Embiid, the MVP of this season — I am yelling I’m so damn (ticked) off. With Paul Reed and PJ Tucker with zero points on the floor, and you’re telling your five-tool team — with Jaylen Brown, a defensive stopper, with Marcus Smart, Defensive Player of the Year, with Jayson Tatum, last year who we saw strap up Kevin Durant, with Al Horford — that team can’t stop James Harden in pick-and-rolls when they’re in drop coverage?”
The Celtics were one of the NBA’s best teams all season. They finished second in the Eastern Conference, behind the Milwaukee Bucks, and still are favored to advance past the 76ers, even though Philadelphia’s Game 1 victory caused a noticeable change in the futures betting market. But Boston keeps shooting itself in the foot, making it fair to wonder whether the team has championship DNA.
It took six games for the Celtics to eliminate the Hawks in the first round, an unsettling result for Boston given the perceived mismatch, and the second round clearly isn’t off to a great start for the Green. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and company need to step up Wednesday night in Game 2 before the best-of-seven series to Philly for Games 3 and 4, especially since Embiid might soon join the fray and make life even more difficult for Boston.
“At some point, we need to be talking about this Boston Celtics team having an identity crisis,” Williams said. “Because I don’t understand. How do you lose who you were last year? Now, you can say Ime Udoka and Joe Mazzulla, (but) those are excuses to me. Sure, with the scheme. But at some point, you need leadership to come through.”
It’s time for the C’s to show their mettle. Or else a golden opportunity to finally raise Banner 18 might slip away.
