5 takeaways: Celtics drop to 0-3 following loss to Pistons

For the first time since the 2013-14 season, the Boston Celtics have opened their season 0-3 following a 119-113 loss on the road to the Detroit Pistons on Sunday afternoon. 

Not even a 41-point performance from Jaylen Brown could propel Boston to its first win as another poor defensive performance spelled doom for the Celtics against the up-and-coming Pistons. 

Here are five takeaways from today’s game...

If there was one complaint about Brown’s game through Boston’s first two games, it’s that the four-time All Star wasn’t as assertive on the offensive end as he could be. 

“I thought he was physical,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “I thought he did a great job of his shot selection…I thought he did a great job of just playing at his pace.”

That change was evident early on Sunday as Brown dominated in the first half against Detroit, and was a big reason why the Celtics held a 17-point first quarter lead. Brown connected on his first four threes as he finished the first 24 minutes with 23 points. 

“It takes time to figure it out, and this is a part of it,” Brown explained postgame. “It's unfortunate. All three games, I feel like were winnable games. I didn't play my best last game. Tonight, we had a valiant effort, but just not enough. But we got to figure it out, and just need to focus on getting one.” 

Brown ended the night 12-for-25, which is seven more shots than he has taken in his previous two games, when he shot the ball 18 times each night. The forward also got to the line 15 times, converting 12 makes. 

A more assertive Brown does spell better things to come for the offense, but it won’t solve the many issues that are currently plaguing this roster. 

After getting exposed in spots in their first two games, the Celtics came out on Sunday looking a lot better. Boston forced nine early turnovers, much to the thanks of Derrick White and Hugo Gonzalez, who both grabbed two steals in the first quarter. 

It didn’t last long though and much of that had to do with Detroit's performance on the glass. The Pistons snatched up 54 boards compared to the Celtics’ 38. What really killed Boston was the offensive glass - Detroit grabbed 18 offensive rebounds and scored 30 second-chance points. 

The Celtics frontcourt made up of Neemias Queta, Luka Garza and Chris Boucher was eaten alive all night. Detroit's Jalen Duren exposed Boston’s bigs, scoring 24 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. It’s going to be an ongoing problem when the leading rebounder for a game is Payton Pritchard, who had 10 this afternoon. 

With what appears to be an inability to grab rebounds, the Celtics will have to look for other ways to limit their opponents possessions. 

“We have to combat it in three ways,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “We have to be as physical as we can rebounding. We have to get offensive rebounds, and we have to force more turnovers.” 

The 19-year-old first-round draft pick made his debut in Boston’s starting lineup on Sunday, making him just the second youngest player to start for the Celtics. The youngest player to do so? Jayson Tatum. 

While Gonzalez didn’t stuff the stat sheet like Tatum has done, he did look like he belonged on the court. 

The guard missed his only two shots attempted, but he did force two turnovers and rejected a shot in the first quarter. 

White and Pritchard have continued their sluggish start on offense, especially in the onset against the Pistons. Boston’s backcourt combined for 1-for-8 shooting from three in the first quarter. 

White struggled for most of the afternoon, shooting 6-for-18 and just looked out of sync. Pritchard did ended his night with 21 points but was still struggling beyond-the-arc. 

It may just be a slow start to the season, but if White continues to struggle as Boston’s second option, it could be in trouble. He will have to look like his old self for the Celtics to remain competitive. 

It could be getting dark early for the Celtics with the schedule that is ahead of them. After an 0-3 start, the road isn’t going to be getting easier. 

Boston will be on the road for the second night of a back-to-back on Monday when it takes on New Orleans. Then it will return home to take on Cleveland and Houston’s record-setting lineup. 

While the season won’t be lost in the team’s first six games, there could be a real possibility the Celtics are winless into November.