The Boston Celtics made the headlines this week and not precisely for the best reasons. The Greens are trying to become a competitive team in a stacked Eastern Conference, but that’s not easy seeing the level of their rivals.
They have internal issues, including Marcus Smart calling out teammates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown for not passing the ball enough. After the Celtics blew a double-digit lead against the Chicago Bulls, bringing their record to 2-5, Smart had some things to say about his star teammates.
“Every team knows we’re trying to go to Jayson and Jaylen. Every team is programmed and studied to stop Jayson and Jaylen. I think everybody’s scouting report is to make those guys pass the ball. They don’t want to pass the ball. That’s something that they’re going to learn. They’re still learning.”
This obviously raised a lot of eyebrows around the association. Everybody had something to say about it, including Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens. The former head coach opened up on this situation, saying he would have handled differently.
“I think any time you have things to say, you say it to the person or people,” said Stevens, per Brian Robb of MassLive. “Whether they’re right wrong or whatever, you say it directly to the person. I think it’s important — you have to be willing to have difficult conversations and put your name on it. The validity of the comments aren’t as important as, we have to be able to sit face-to-face and say, ‘OK, we all want to win. How do we find solutions because we were sitting at 2-5 on Monday?’
“Was it ideal? No. Was it the right thing at the right time? Probably not,” Stevens went on. “But at the end of the day, it’s how you respond. You got to sit with those guys. You gotta go out face-to-face with those guys.”
Just like Stevens, Jaylen Brown said that wasn’t the best way to handle the situation, but making it clear things are fine in the locker room. The Celtics now boast a 4-5 record, showing a better face after that collapse against the Chicago Bulls.
They aren’t considered contenders for this season, but the Celtics could blow something good even before it starts if they don’t take care of things the proper way. Right now, there’s nothing to worry about, but we know how volatile this team can be.
