The Boston Celtics have gotten off to a rough start this season, and they already held a players-only meeting following some comments that ruffled feathers.
The Celtics led the Chicago Bulls by as many as 19 in the third quarter but ended up losing to them by 14 on Monday night. After the game, Marcus Smart complained about stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown not passing the ball enough.
The team bounced back to beat the Orlando Magic 92-79 on the road Wednesday. That victory came after a meeting among the players that reportedly did not go very well.
“It was emotional at times,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday. “In the end perhaps, not a terribly productive meeting, maybe not even beneficial.”
Even if the meeting wasn’t terribly productive, the Celtics did gather themselves to get their second victory of the season, so that’s a plus.
Boston has made the playoffs seven seasons in a row. However, they are in a major transitional phase. Brad Stevens left his coaching job to take over the front office, with Danny Ainge stepping aside. Ime Udoka is the new head coach. And the team lost one of its best scoring options in Kemba Walker. That loss has forced Tatum and Brown to try taking over the scoring roles, which has decreased their assist numbers.
Boston’s playoff streak sure seems to be in jeopardy this season.
