Paul Pierce is amazed at the performances of Jason Tatum and the Celtics. He emphasized that it would never happen, and used the Knicks’ Josh Hart to explain the bigger points.
The Boston Celtics are standing on a cliff at a potentially unexpected ending of the season. If they lose Game 3 against the New York Knicks, it will likely be the end of their NBA title defense.
Boston was poor in both games and created a horrible playoff record in Game 1. Game 2 was pretty much not good. Another 20-point comeback is courtesy of the extremely struggling Jason Tatum.
Criticism is unlikely to stop unless they perform better. Paul Pierce’s wild promises have returned to plague him after the Game 2 defeat, but he has some meaningful insights into the team.
What’s encouraging for Boston is that they lost both games with a total of four points. They aren’t too far from the Knicks. Especially if the former Celtics legend takes what he has to say in his heart.
Josh Hart made his NBA career a success by creating what Pierce calls “extra effort.” His tenacity and hustle is almost unparalleled in today’s league.
Pierce called out the Celtics star, especially Tatum, using him as an example. He said, “Your shot comes, you go now, he’s rebounding.
“It’s the end of the defensive, the clutch. These are trivial things. Stepping onto that edge of the courtroom, it’s not just him, but everyone is struggling.
“The guy who expects me to play well, Jule is struggling, Derrick White is struggling, Jalen Brown, they’re all struggling, I’ve never seen everything at the same time.
“Usually, at least one player has all of their big games, it’s minimal.
“Hart, the smallest player on the court, has gotten offensive rebounds, and this is not a game plan adjustment, I think this is a mental adjustment they have to make.
“If they can do that, they can quickly return to this series. Maybe some hands need to be thrown.”
Piercings aren’t wrong about the mindset and effort Boston needs, but the actual answer is much easier. The Celtics need to shoot the ball better.
In Game 1, I missed a 45 3-pointer. In Game 2, I missed 30. The Celtics average true shooting rate is 46.6%, but this is not enough.
Some of the three they missed are well protected. However, to change everything about the series, some broad open looks will need to fall.
Boston has built its identity around a three-pointer, and now it’s not time to abandon what works. When the time comes for Game 3, the Celtics need to find their shot.