Before the 2021-22 NBA season began, the Boston Celtics were touted as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Well, that has not been the case so far this season. Let alone being a top team in the East, the Celtics are currently sitting at the 10th spot in the conference.
They have a record of 16-19 and it is safe to say that the franchise is not heading towards a good record this season. But what might be the cause of this sudden dip in form for the team? After all, they went to the Eastern Conference Finals just two seasons ago.
At least for the game against the Los Angeles Clippers, we are aware of what went wrong. In a league where almost every team has adapted to shooting lights out from beyond the 3-point line, the Celtics struggled to do so. In fact, they had an abysmal 4-of-42 from the 3-point line, which translates to just 9.5%.
Although the whole team played badly, Bill Simmons of “The Ringer” blamed most of it on Celtics’ star Jaylen Brown. He wrote in a tweet:
“Celts down six with 50 seconds left to the Semi-Clippers. Jaylen is 13 for 32 with zero assists. Things are going great.”
Celts down six with 50 seconds left to the Semi-Clippers. Jaylen is 13 for 32 with zero assists. Things are going great.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) December 30, 2021
He clearly left a sarcastic message towards the end of the tweet as things are certainly not going great for the team.
As for Brown’s performance against the Clippers, he finished the fixture with a game-high 30 points. But his 1-of-13 shooting from the 3-point line and 13-36 from the floor overshadowed his total points.
Considering that Jayson Tatum is still unavailable for the team, Brown has a huge responsibility on his shoulders. He could have become a hero against the Clippers, but instead, he became the poster boy of receiving backlash from fans and analysts alike.
There is still time left for the Celtics to turn their season around. But it can only happen if they play like a well-oiled machine and improve their shooting from the 3-point line. Otherwise, even if they make it to the playoffs somehow, it is hard to see them go far.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo7lkIbvWw8
