I strive to not fear concerning the inexplicable.
Issues occur that we simply can’t predict, and I don’t decide life primarily based on slip ups. I used to freak out about random Boston Celtics losses the place they appeared flat and uninspired, worrying that this group could not have what it takes to win a title. However after… they did that, I traded in my Celtics fatalism for a medical dose of mercy, excusing inexplicable losses to the Trae Younger-less Atlanta Hawks, or Paolo Banchero-and-Franz Wagner-less Orlando Magic. I attempted to be higher, be nicer and fewer of a grumpy bugger. For probably the most half, it’s been a great factor.
However the Celtics’ Christmas Day loss to the Philadelphia 76ers wasn’t inexplicable. It was so explicable, in reality, that I’m going to explicate it proper now: the Celtics ran out of choices.
First, they misplaced Sam Hauser round December 6, having scored zero factors in three of the Celtics’ final 4; second, they misplaced Jrue Vacation earlier than the sport to the harm report; third, they misplaced Kristaps Porzingis to a first-half harm; fourth, they misplaced Derrick White to trying discombobulated on the market; fifth, they misplaced Payton Pritchard to being discombobulated on the market.
That left Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown — who himself had a poor first half — and Al Horford to carry down TD Backyard towards one of many first wholesome 76ers video games all season, and towards Caleb Martin’s one-night encore efficiency as himself within the 2022 hit sitcom “Caleb Martin Destroys Boston.” There. Take into account the loss totally explicated.
Weren’t we purported to be higher than that? Wasn’t this group constructed thus far above the second apron as a result of we couldn’t run out of choices? The safety blankets are all over the place, and even Caleb Martin — who killed the previous iteration of the Celtics — wasn’t supposed to have the ability to rip by means of all of them. I’m not confused about what went fallacious, however I’m confused about how on earth it did.
The Celtics’ foremost energy is their depth and their pointed lack of heliocentric basketball. By not counting on any single participant to hold the group on both finish, they’re purported to be insulated towards anybody creator having an off evening. And so they may all the time reply to any chilly streak with stifling protection, which for years has stored them in video games they may have misplaced an hour earlier.
However Christmas noticed the Celtics battle initially, which occurs loads, however then fail to craft a coherent response. They have been confused, floundering and complaining; Payton Pritchard has adopted up taking a stranglehold on the Sixth Man of the 12 months award by three-straight single digit scoring performances. When he isn’t scoring, he’s on the market getting hunted by Tyrese Maxey and getting misplaced on the game-clinching change that despatched the Celtics packing.
With out Vacation, Pritchard must play huge and high quality minutes, however he couldn’t keep on the market. Horford crammed in valiantly, however he’s not the quantity scorer the Celtics wanted. Derrick White could have salvaged his field rating with robust closing minutes, and was a giant cause the Celtics solely misplaced by 4 quite than 12. However he was offensively cooked many of the evening, and after all of us coronated him the Celtics’ third star, that’s regarding.
However all of this is smart. Pritchard and White’s struggles blended with Porzingis’ harm left the Celtics short-staffed and dealing with one of the best model of their opponent. However how did this all occur directly. Are the Celtics unfortunate? Unprepared? Discovering new methods to fail hitherto by no means earlier than seen on the parquet? The Celtics group I knew earlier this season doesn’t lose like this, so I’m nervous one thing is severely fallacious.
The Celtics are a basketball group. However these Celtics are an establishment, larger and higher than your common group that explicably struggles in a giant sport towards generational rivals on Christmas Day. This season has lacked the signature performances in huge spots befitting of that establishment, and the Celtics should show they aren’t simply “too huge to fail” and are literally one of the best. Shedding to Philly could have made sense, however they’re higher than the 76ers. And so they’re higher than that.
