Considered as perhaps the premier threat in the Eastern Conference this season, the Boston Celtics have not lived up to the high expectations that were set forth for them thus far this year.
Boston currently sits at sixth in the conference with a 10-9 record, as acclimating stars Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving to a young core has proven more complex than first anticipated. However, reserve guard Marcus Smart has a simple explanation for the Celtics’ rocky start to the campaign. Smart expressed his frustration to Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett, stating that they’re playing like ‘punks’ and need to stop sugarcoating things.
“It’s the same old song,” he said in a quiet, matter-of-fact tone. “You know, it gets annoying. I don’t even know what to say at this point. You’ve already done heard it. I’m tired of talking about it. I don’t know.”
“I am,” he said, “but we’ve got to stop sugarcoating things. That’s the problem. We’ve got to stop sugarcoating it. We’ve just got to call it what it is. We’re playing like punks; that’s just what it is.”
“It’s not everybody. You’ve got guys out there that are playing and playing hard. That’s some, but we don’t have all five guys at the same time. So teams are going to continue to whup us.”
Despite their struggles, the Celtics still have more than enough talent to right the ship and climb up the fluctuating Eastern Conference standings.
Of course, Marcus Smart and his blue-collar mentality has been a vital piece of Boston’s success in recent years. This year though, his stats have plummeted along with a drop in playing time, likely due to a loaded guard rotation. Smart earned a well-deserved extension just this past summer but has yet to prove his value in the early portions of the season.
Hopefully, Smart can improve his play and with a coach such as Brad Stevens, it should just be a matter of time before the Celtics start clicking on all cylinders and come for the Eastern Conference crown.
