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All the illusion in the world can fall short when reality is more complex than you want to admit. The Boston Celtics began the season with renewed illusions after a busy but, a priori, edifying summer. Danny Ainge was leaving his position to be filled by a Brad Stevens who chose Ime Udoka as his replacement on the bench. Since the new general manager sat in his office, he has not stopped making decisions that put the Celtics in the best possible context to face a year of clear transition. However, once on the court things still don’t work out, and Marcus Smart looks at Brown and Tatum: “They don’t want to pass the ball and they have to learn.”
Smart’s words came after the Chicago Bulls rallied from a game they were trailing by 14 early in the fourth quarter. Finally, Billy Donovan’s men managed to prevail at the TD Garden after a brutal 39-11 run. “All the teams know that our plan is based on reaching Tatum and Brown, and they prepare to stop them. Our rivals work to make sure they have to pass the ball » argued the escort after the match. “They are learning and we are proud of their progress, but they have to find a way to take the next step and stop creating games solely for themselves.”
Such statements may be the result of some frustration on Smart’s part. In recent years, the player has demanded greater weight in the creation of the game, his last season being the most prolific in this regard. However, this individual growth did not have a special positive influence on the collective, and some leaks suggest that Stevens was beginning to be concerned about the excessive offensive importance that he absorbed. Upon his arrival, Udoka preferred to entrust the team to Brown, Tatum or Dennis Schröder to the detriment of Smart, who is demanding more opportunities than staying “open in the corner.”
Boston has a lot more problems than its playmaking or excess of individuality, but Smart is partly right. One of the main points of interest that accompanied the Celtics before starting the course was the growth as managers of their two stars. Especially from Tatum, who is more prone to kneading the ball. Seven games is a very short sample, but both have been unable to show growth in that facet and their irregularity in other fields adds up to make Boston one of the most disappointing teams of the first two weeks of competition.
(Cover photo by Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
