Throughout this season, the Boston Celtics have appeared to be the best team in the NBA. They own the league’s best record, being elite in on offense and defense, and many feel they may have the best starting lineup in basketball.
However, they have had a few troubling losses this season in which they may have underestimated their opponents. Case in point: their recent 114-105 humbling at the hands of a Los Angeles Lakers team that didn’t have LeBron James or Anthony Davis on Thursday.
It was supposed to be an easy victory for Boston, especially considering the Lakers had been blown out in both of their previous two contests and had had numerous issues. Instead, Boston looked like the team that had issues.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics Updates
Former WNBA All-Star and current ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike accused the Celtics of being “too cool for school” at times.
In Thursday’s game, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics’ two best players, combined for just 31 points while shooting a low percentage from the field. However, what was most troubling was the Celtics’ lack of energy and effort. They allowed an alarming number of offensive rebounds and were unable to stymie L.A.’s potent fast break.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics Updates
They didn’t bear any resemblance to the team that many have been picking lately to win the NBA championship.
Many have been dismissing this as one insignificant loss during the “dog days” of the NBA season. However, if losses like this are allowed to pile up, it could be a sign that a team is too complacent and isn’t paying enough attention to detail.
Many NBA fans tend to feel the regular season and playoff seeding are meaningless. However, they’re usually an indication of how ready a team such as the Celtics is to win it all once the bright lights of the playoffs are turned on.
