Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart addressed what has gone wrong for the team this season, claiming that teams aren’t afraid of The Green. He even went as far as saying teams “can’t wait” to face Boston.
Marcus Smart on what’s ailing the Celtics:
"Lack of fear. Like, we don’t impose our fear and will on other teams. Last year, teams when they came in and played the Celtics, they knew they were in for a fight. This year, teams can’t wait to play us. And that’s a problem."
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) November 25, 2018
The Celtics have indeed gotten off to a disappointing start. Prior to the season, they were lauded as the East’s best team and the greatest challenger yet to the dynastic machine that is the Golden State Warriors.
Now, 20 games into the season, Boston has a .500 record and is seventh in the East.
Smart voiced his frustration after a loss to a Dallas Mavericks team that now has the same record as the Celtics’. Smart did his part in that game, coming off the bench to score a season-high 19 points on just eight shot attempts.
Smart is playing a career-low 23.2 minutes per game this season, averaging 6.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
