The Boston Celtics, the defending NBA champions, are facing a rough patch and not playing like the reigning titleholders. Recently, they’ve had a 5-5 record in their last 10 games and 11-9 in their last 20 games. Their most recent loss was a 117-96 blowout to the Los Angeles Lakers, their biggest defeat of the season.
They’ve struggled after wins, with a 3-8 record since December 15, and have only won back-to-back games twice in that period. This is concerning for a team that had seven winning streaks of five or more games last season.
Boston has largely stayed healthy since Kristaps Porzingis returned from offseason surgery in late November. The team has also brought back all key players from their 2023-24 championship squad. Given this, many are questioning why the Celtics are now playing at a .500 level instead of dominating as they did last season.
Shooting Woes and Bigger Problems
While the Celtics’ shooting has been below par—shooting 44.7% from the field and 34.9% from three-point range in January—Brian Scalabrine and Eddie House, former Celtics teammates, believe there are deeper issues. The pair shared their thoughts on Celtics Postgame Live after Thursday’s loss to the Lakers.
Scalabrine pointed out the lack of good habits on the court. He emphasized the importance of having a purpose during the game, good spacing, and executing defensive coverage. “We don’t have good habits right now,” Scalabrine said. “I’m not sure what we’re doing on a lot of our coverages.” He also mentioned that the team isn’t reacting properly on defense when players are breaking through.
While the Celtics remain strong defensively, ranking fifth in defensive rating and sixth in points allowed, they’ve had some slip-ups recently. They allowed 110 points to the Toronto Raptors, 119 points to the Atlanta Hawks, and 117 points to the Lakers in their latest loss.
Inconsistency Across the Board
Eddie House expressed concern about the Celtics’ inconsistency, especially on defense. “We’re consistently inconsistent,” House said. “Some games we bring energy and are locked in defensively, but other times, we’re not.” He pointed out that the team needs to focus more on their principles and execution, not just making or missing shots.
Despite the recent struggles, the Celtics have shown flashes of strong play. They won two games in two nights against Western Conference playoff teams, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Houston Rockets, and dominated the Golden State Warriors by 40 points on Monday, even with a shorthanded Warriors team.
Although the Celtics have had some encouraging wins, they’ve followed them up with puzzling losses. To repeat as champions, they will need to find more consistency and address their defensive and overall play issues.
