No Jayson Tatum, no Marcus Smart, no excuses. If the Boston Celtics thought they were hit hard by COVID, they should take a look at the Minnesota Timberwolves — and they got a really close look on Monday night.
Minnesota entered the week missing all five starters. Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, Jared Vanderbilt, and Patrick Beverley were all out on Monday night. Boston went to Minnesota and suffered another fourth-quarter collapse in a 108-103 loss. Ime Udoka did not mince words after the game calling it “one of the poorest losses of the year.”
Let’s take a closer look. Boston allowed 34 points n the fourth quarter. The Timberwolves shot 41.2% from three-point range. They outscored the Celtics 50-26 in the paint. Boston was held to just 37.1% from the field. The problem is, this is not an issue that appeared for the first time on Monday night.
It is time to accept that the Celtics are not title contenders and they need to reshape. Boston is one of those franchises that enters the season with title hopes year after year. Well, Bill Russell or Larry Bird are not walking through the door. A big three of Pierce, Garnett, and Allen is not going to appear.
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The Celtics are scoring 108.4 points per game, which is 15th in the league. They are just 22nd in the league from beyond the arc at 34% and 23rd in overall field goal percentage at 44.3%. Defensively, the Celtics allow 107.4 points per night, and opponents shoot 34.3% from deep. The duo of Tatum and Jaylen Brown is not one that can defend at a high rate.
So where do the Celtics go from here? It is up to Brad Stevens to put a team that can compete on the floor. This is Udoka’s first year as a head coach and he inherited a team that had plenty of holes. Now, it might be time for them to be filled.
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Boston signed Smart and Robert Williams to four-year deals in the offseason. This is not saying that these were bad moves but they have not helped the team to take the next step.
Evan Fournier signed with New York and the Celtics signed Dennis Schroder on a one-year, bargain deal. With Tatum and Brown leading the way, Boston felt like they had enough to win but the duo remains one-dimensional.
When looking at potential trades, Brown has been mentioned but it is unlikely that he is moved. If this is the case, the team is not likely to land another star. That is not what they need.
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The Celtics need to be in search of a perimeter threat or a player who can help on the perimeter — or both. Buddy Hield and Jerami Grant are two names that come to mind as potential targets.
The Boston Celtics are one of the most storied franchises in the league. They have a rich history of winning but have taken steps back in recent years. For this to stop, they need to fix the rotation. This loss to the Timberwolves should be eye-opening for the front office as they move forward.
