Joe Mazzulla puts the Celtics’ struggles in perspective
Joe Mazzulla had an interesting view on the current state of the Celtics and how their season has progressed.
“It’s different. Different year, people, and different spaces.”
With a record of 28-11, the Celtics have found themselves trailing the Cavaliers for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, a result that has raised concern from fans and media alike who, rightfully, assumed that following their championship season, the C’s would cruise through the playoffs with a good chance to repeat as NBA champions.
For Mazzulla, the record doesn’t raise immediate concern. He understands the expectation, and feels the team does too, but he believes they’re a better team than they’ve showed, and that they are just in a funk. He seems to believe that when it comes time for the C’s, they are still primed for success.
“It’s a beautiful place to be in … It’s a great standard and a great expectation to have, and we have to deliver,” Mazzulla said.
The Celtics find themselves in a 13-game stretch that does not reach the “great standard” that Mazzulla and fans have set for the team. “When you’re 7-6 over 13, it’s not just one thing.”
What should bring more concern to Celtics fans than simply the losses is the caliber of the teams that they lost to over the last few weeks. Notably, three of the six games they dropped over the last 13 were to mid-to-lower half of the league organizations: 108-104 loss to the Chicago Bulls (18-21 record), 118-114 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers (15-22 record), and Friday’s 114-97 blow out loss to the Sacramento Kings (20-19 record).
Every game has its nuances, but, realistically, this star-studded Celtics roster should not be dropping multiple games to near or sub-.500 teams.
“We’re just not playing our best basketball,” continued Mazzulla, “I think sometimes, when you have the same team, we have this expectation that we’re just going to pick up [in the same way as last year].”
Mazzulla seems to want to express to the fanbase that despite certain struggles with the team, it does not mean their season is a failure, nor is it cause for panic.
“I love the fact that we’re not happy. It’s the best place to be in, and we’ll figure it the hell out.”
It’s reassuring that the Celtics’ coach continues with his cool and collected self. Even though his overall point remains true, the Celtics’ skid should still raise some concern; frankly, they went from a team that dominated the entire league last year, and, now, they have found ways to lose to teams that have struggled to reach a five-hundred record.
So, Mazzulla’s confidence is good, but the C’s need to find a way to “figure it … out,” to use Mazzulla’s words. Coming up are some potential get right games, their next three matchups come against lesser opponents: Raptors (8-31), Hawks (19-19), and Clippers (20-17).
This creates an interesting crossroads for the Celtics’ season. Losses in one or multiple of these games continues the trend of disappointment, but given that these are winnable games it creates a stretch that the Celtics can utilize to turn in the right direction, i.e. figuring it out.
