Brad Stevens Unimpressed With Boston Celtics, Reveals Major Shortcomings After Loss to Mavericks

Published 02/24/2021, 12:13 AM EST

The Boston Celtics started the season with an 8-3 run. But since then, they have been playing poorly, and after 31 games, they have a losing record. Tonight was their 16th loss of the season as they fell to the Luka Doncic-led Dallas Mavericks.

They allowed the Mavericks to score just 110 points, but coach Brad Stevens was still unimpressed with their defensive effort. During the post-game interview, he said, “We’re not as good defensively as we have been in the last few years. … I think we’ve improved in that area, but I still don’t think we’re where you want to be if you want to be good.”

With just 15 seconds left on the clock, the Celtics had a one-point lead. But they were unable to defend back-to-back clutch threes from Doncic, who stole the game away from the Celtics. This extended their poor road record to 7-11, and it was their second road loss in a row.

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Brad Stevens: “We’re not as good defensively as we have been in the last few years. … I think we’ve improved in that area, but I still don’t think we’re where you want to be if you want to be good.”
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) February 24, 2021

Two All-Stars not enough to save the Boston Celtics?

Last season, the Celtics had Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker represent them at the All-Star game. While Kemba missed out this time, Jaylen Brown’s brilliant start to the season got him a spot. So they became one of the six teams with multiple All-Stars this season. But that clearly hasn’t been enough for the Celtics to have an improved record.

The Celtics are the only team below .500 with multiple All-Stars this season. pic.twitter.com/OClryKdWYW
— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 24, 2021

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None of the other five teams have a below .500 record like the Celtics. That just shows how terrible the rest of the team has been. If two All-Stars aren’t enough to guarantee a team at least a .500 or better record, they need to use this as a reminder to step up.

Since his return from injury, Walker has been atrocious. He is currently shooting just 37% from the field, which is an embarrassing number for a player earning over $30 million a year. He had another bad game tonight, as he continued his struggles.

Marcus Smart’s injury has also been a factor in their surprising record. His return from injury along with a return to form for Walker is something that the Celtics desperately need right now. Unless that happens soon, their performances could continue to plummet.

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Three Reasons Why The Boston Celtics Have Been Struggling Lately

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Written by:

Aaron Mathew is a sports analyst at EssentiallySports. A graduate in Mass Media from Xavier’s College, Aaron has been a part of EssentiallySports since May 2020 where he covers both NBA and NCAA basketball news, and has also covered NBA 2K. In the past, Aaron has worked at the Sports Desk of Mumbai Mirror.

Brad Stevens Unimpressed With Boston Celtics, Reveals Major Shortcomings After Loss to Mavericks

Two All-Stars not enough to save the Boston Celtics?

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