Bostonvestigation: How valid are those whispers of concern that you’re hearing about the Celtics?

Whether or not they’re whispers behind a wall of confidence behind your mind or maybe a satan looming in your shoulder, your considerations with the Celtics most likely made their presence recognized on Monday.

This loss towards the Hawks was disgusting, I hated watching it, and I used to be none-too-pleased when Vit Krejci, whom I heard of for the primary time yesterday, lit the Cs up for 16 factors to assist gasoline Atlanta’s 30-point comeback.

It’s bizarre. The Cs have regarded unbelievable all through this season, but anytime they lose a sport, which solely occurs about 21% of the time, the fanbase loses it on-line. You’d suppose that this group had simply misplaced 5 straight with among the posts after the loss.

But, it doesn’t really feel all that loopy. I really feel it. After I see what I noticed yesterday, the whispers develop a bit louder. All of it comes again.

I see Bobby Portis sinking a go-ahead putback in Sport 5 of the 2022 Japanese Convention Semifinals.

I see Steph Curry catching fire to snap the Cs’ NBA title hopes after they go chilly within the fourth quarter.

I see Caleb Martin ending Boston’s playoff run in Sport 7 of the Japanese Convention Finals.

Photograph by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures

All the similar questions come again into the fold.

“Huh, it’s actually going to be the identical once more this 12 months, isn’t it?”

“Have they realized nothing?”

“Can they not shut video games?”

The 2 main elements that performed into the collapse Monday are persistent for the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown version of the Celtics.

Boston’s followers undoubtedly get some kind of PTSD anytime their squad coughs up an enormous lead. It sucks and is the worst strategy to lose a basketball sport. In case you mix that with the truth that they nonetheless managed to provide themselves an opportunity to win the sport however have been outplayed by the Tenth-place Hawks in crunch time, it stings much more.

It looks like a number of the hardship that the Celtics have confronted over the previous two-and-a-half seasons has been self-inflicted, kind of like what occurred in Atlanta.

Simply earlier this month, Dean Wade singlehandedly introduced the Cleveland Cavaliers again from the lifeless to beat Boston. His sizzling capturing erased a 22-point fourth-quarter lead from the Cs that night time and set the alarms off, very like they went off on Monday.

Nevertheless, the alarms don’t sound typically. Within the ten video games between that night time and final, Boston ripped off a 9-1 stretch, solely dropping to the reigning champion Denver Nuggets (you’re allowed to really feel a sure sort of approach about that one, for certain).

That’s the essential factor.

The Celtics have constructed a ton of huge leads this season. Actually, they’ve taken 30-point leads in additional video games (16), than their quantity of losses on the season (15). They don’t typically lose them without recovering.

They even recovered within the loss to the Hawks, instantly rising the lead again to double-digits after Atlanta minimize it to 3 within the third quarter. The issue is that they weren’t capable of end off the sport when it was shut.

This can be a extra outstanding situation with this group. Historical past would inform you that the playoffs are going to characteristic extra tightly contested video games than 30-point blowouts.

What are the Celtics going to do then? Hopefully not what all of us witnessed on Monday, that’s for certain.

Boston’s offense tends to develop into one-dimensional within the ultimate minutes of shut video games. The ball finds both Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown and they’re anticipated to generate scoring alternatives for the group.

That is nice… typically.

There’s been a number of speak in regards to the Celtics discovering their “curveball” come playoff time. Proper now, all it looks like we see them throw to opposing defenses is the two-seam fastball, with Tatum and Brown being these seams.

Combine it up.

Run some actions away from the ball.

Make the protection have to regulate from possession to possession.

The iso stuff truly labored a bit towards the Hawks. Each Tatum and Brown managed to create factors for themselves down the stretch with Tatum throwing down a monster dunk after which sinking a fadeaway and Brown getting a fader of his personal to drop.

Nevertheless, the Hawks have been capable of regulate and make issues powerful on each of those guys. They received Tatum to show the ball over late after which compelled Brown to accept an terrible stepback three with lower than a minute to go.

If there have been extra layers to the late-game sport plan, possibly one of many league’s worst defenses wouldn’t have been capable of string collectively key stops towards its finest offense.

I’m not completely certain how essential the loss is. We’re in late March now. The Celtics have already secured the highest spot within the Japanese Convention with 10 video games (it was 11 once they clinched) remaining. The outcomes don’t imply a complete lot for the rest of the common season. Apart from attempting to lock up the NBA’s finest report, Boston doesn’t have a ton to be enjoying for at this level.

Don’t get me improper. I’m the largest “win each single sport since you’re higher than the opposite group” man ever, and I feel it might’ve been sick to tie the franchise report for wins in a season.

I’m undoubtedly disillusioned in what I watched final night time, however I’m unsure it’ll matter in a month.

Perhaps it’ll.

I hope not.

It actually doesn’t change the exceptional run this season’s Celtics group has had up to now.