Prior to the season starting the Boston Celtics are already expected to reign at the Eastern Conference. With Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward returning from their injuries, it's clear why most NBA analysts picked the Celtics. It is also fully documented they have the greatest depth of talent on their roster thus having the nickname “Bench With Attitude”. However, some experts believe that the reason why they were anointed number one in the East is because of the departure of LeBron James’, which has angered their fans.
Irving and Hayward
During their first 13 games, it is evident the Celtics are still trying to patch things up.
Yes, they are struggling, but it is also too early to panic in 'Bean Town'. Kyrie Irving, who is the leader of the team just found his rhythm, and their young nucleus, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are still trying to follow up their superb performance last season. Gordon Hayward, who suffered a devastating injury last season is showing glimpses of his old self. For those who aren’t familiar, Hayward was one of the best shooting guards on the league and he led the Utah Jazz to the playoffs after missing a few years.
Shooting slump
There are a lot of people calling out the lacklustre performance of the Boston Celtics, especially their shooting woes. Right now, their shooting percentage is disastrous which causes much concern among their fans.
However, as former NBA player and one of the hosts of the NBA on TNT, Kenny “The Jet” Smith has stated, their shots will fall eventually. They are distributing the ball properly, it’s just that the shots are not going in. Brad Stevens has already commented on this specific issue and he is confident they’ll be able to reach their groove in a few weeks.
Attack the rim
Maybe what the Celtics can do is to attack the basket more often. There are multiple games where they tend to shoot the 3’s and jump shoot, then going straight to the paint. As per the latest statistics, Kyrie Irving is the only player on the team that has driven the basket multiple times. Considering the injury he suffered last season, Irving knows the easiest way to find his touch is to drive to the basket.
Hopefully, the next big thing, which is Jayson Tatum, should do it more religiously. The league already knows what he is capable of and this is the perfect time to show that his rookie season is not a fluke.
Mook on the rise
The positive side during their slump is the emergence of their bench. Marcus Morris is clearly showing that he is in the conversation for the “Sixth Man of Year” award. Mook is now averaging 14.8 PPG, 6.8 TRB while shooting 48.4% beyond the arc. His PER also skyrocketed to 16.9 which is the best in his career.
