MIAMI — As he processed the Celtics’ gutless Sport 3 loss a day later, surrounded by a throng of media inside a ballroom on the 4 Seasons Lodge early Monday afternoon, Malcolm Brogdon agreed with the characterization that the defeat was “gorgeous.”
However the warning indicators that one factor like this might probably be coming have been there for weeks, a minimal of. They struggled to put away the Hawks. They barely managed to get by the 76ers. Now, they’re being uncovered by the Warmth in embarrassing vogue.
“I feel we’ve taken a number of steps again, I feel, in these playoffs total,” Brogdon talked about. “I feel it’s exhibiting as a result of we’re enjoying a really disciplined, constant, well-coached workforce. However I feel within the Atlanta sequence, I feel within the Philly sequence, I feel we obtained away with issues that now are biting us. In order that’s undoubtedly troubling.”
In truth, these purple flags have been there sooner than the playoffs. After a scorching start to the frequent season, the Celtics’ flaws have been uncovered in a variety of losses to inferior teams. When their photos weren’t falling, it affected their safety. They ignored teams they should beat. It resulted in a handful of embarrassing losses similar to Sunday night’s disaster.
Joe Mazzulla admitted Sunday that the Celtics have misplaced a number of of their defensive identification that made them so good ultimate season. Brogdon took it a step further: The Celtics haven’t had an identification this season, and, somehow, are nonetheless searching for it inside the Japanese Convention Finals.
“I feel Miami is likely one of the groups, one of many few groups within the league, Miami, Denver, there are just a few of them which have a extremely sturdy id they usually play by it each single night time,” Brogdon talked about. “They’re large devoted to it. And, for us, our identification has waned all yr prolonged. We’ve been attempting to find out who we’re, on account of I consider we’re such a terrific, proficient scoring workforce, nevertheless as soon as we don’t make photos we purchased to rely upon our safety, and our safety isn’t fixed every night.
“After we don’t make photographs, our protection wanes, it slips. And that’s one thing we’ve talked about. It’s one thing we’ve tried to work on. It’s one thing we’ve been extraordinarily conscious to, however it’s continued to be a problem for us.”
Now, it’s most definitely too late to beat it. Even though they’re aware of how rather a lot their safety has declined, it retains occurring.
“I feel protection must be the id,” Brogdon talked about. “I feel whenever you get to the tip of the playoffs, the Japanese Convention Finals, the Finals, it’s the most effective defensive groups which might be going to take that step ahead and win a sequence. And I feel we’ve seen that. Photographs aren’t going to fall each night time. That’s simply the fact of the league. It’s a miss or make league. So our protection must be our calling card.”
Originally posted 2023-05-22 20:35:35.