By blowing a massive opportunity, these Celtics showed they’re just not ready yet - Dan Shaughnessy/Boston Globe

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/06/16/sports/warriors-win-title-celtics-just-arent-ready-yet/

By blowing a massive opportunity, these Celtics showed they’re just not ready yet
By Dan Shaughnessy Globe Staff, June 16, 2022


The Celtics’ magical 2022 playoff run crash-landed on Causeway Street Thursday as the still-worthy Golden State Warriors won the NBA championship with a 103-90 Game 6 victory at the TD Garden.

Years from now perhaps we’ll look back and see this as a building block for Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Co. but right now it feels like one of the worst blown opportunities in 21st century Boston sports.

“It hurts that we fell short, but the future is bright,’’ said Celtics rookie coach Ime Udoka. " . . . This is just a start. The foundation’s been set. We can hit the ground running next year.’’

“As you can see, there’s still a lot of growing for all of us,’’ said resident Celtic grown-up, Al Horford (19 points, 14 rebounds). “The Warriors are on a different level. It’s something we have to accept and grow from it.’’

The Celtics seemingly had control of the series. They won two of the first three, and at times looked dominant. They were the younger, stronger, better team (we foolishly thought) and New England sports fans looked forward to seeing franchise flag No. 18 raised to the Garden rafters.

The Warriors had other ideas. Time-tested champs Steph Curry (series MVP), Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and (coach) Steve Kerr showed the immature, front-running Celtics how it’s done. They beat the Celtics three straight times, twice at the Garden, each time exposing Boston’s turnover-prone offense and weak bench.

This was supposed to be Tatum’s introduction to NBA America as a legitimate superstar. Instead, it was a nightmare for Boston’s soft-spoken All-Star. The record will show that 24 year-old Tatum totally turtled in his first shot at a championship. He was a turnover machine who scored a bunch of hollow points, but did little in the crucial moments of every loss. In the finale, Tatum scored 13 points (2 after halftime) hitting on only 6 of 18 shots (1 of 4 on 3-pointers) and committing five turnovers. Tatum set an NBA postseason record for turnovers.

“He’s got to learn and understand who he is in this league,’’ said Udoka. “This was a rough one.’’

Tatum’s simply not ready. These Celtics were not ready. They are well positioned for the future, but they will not go into the summer with fond memories of their first opportunity in the NBA Finals.

Historically, Celtic teams are at their best in the Finals. With help from Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Sam Jones, John Havlicek and Larry Bird, Boston basketball teams won 17 championships in 21 trips to the Finals.

But this one was a disaster. No Celtic team had lost a Finals after taking a 2-1 series lead. No Boston team had lost three straight games in the Finals.

These guys did both. After not losing two straight games since March 28-30, they lost three straight in the Finals.

Games 4 and 5 were disappointing. The Celts collapsed down the stretch in both.

Game 6 was worse as the Green were outscored by an embarrassing 21-0 in a horrible stretch of the first half.

The Celtics were crisp and dominant in the early minutes, racing to a 14-2 lead and forcing a timeout by Kerr. The quick start emboldened a Garden crowd, which was decidedly nervous at the opening tap.

Celtic sins of Games 4 and 5 no doubt were still on everybody’s mind and those fears proved legit. The Warriors roared back from the early 10-point deficit, outscoring the Celtics, 25-8, for the rest of the quarter, closing with an 11-0 run to take a 27-22 lead after one quarter. It was very quiet in the Garden after Green, Curry (34 points) and Jordan Poole finished the quarter with back-to-back-to-back threes. It was an impressive display by the visitors.

That was only the beginning of the Golden State tsunami. At the start of the second, Poole drained another three and Andrew Wiggins scored in transition to make it 16 straight points and a 32-22 Golden State lead. Udoka called time just 50 seconds into the quarter. Ouch.

After the pause, Poole hit another three and Wiggins scored in transition to make it a 21-0 run and a 37-22 lead. Udoka called another timeout. In that moment, former Celtic champion Kendrick Perkins tweeted, “Celtics are COOKED.’’

The 21-0 stretch was the longest scoring run in an NBA Finals in 50 years.

Have any of us ever seen a coach call two timeouts in less than two minutes at the start of a second quarter of an NBA Finals game?

The Warriors’ first-half lead peaked at 21, capping a stretch in which the Warriors outscored the Celtics, 51-19. Boston committed 12 turnovers in the first two quarters and were booed off the floor before intermission.

“Look at the numbers,’’ said Udoka. “We gave up 20-plus points on turnovers and 20-plus points on second-chance points. That doesn’t really give us a chance.’’

Estimable Horford started making threes in the third, but Tatum was still in his funk and Curry again showed us that he is the greatest shooter in the history of this game. Curry’s third three of the third quarter made it 72-50.

Led by Brown (34 points), the Celtics put a charge into the crowd with a nice run late in the third and cut the margin to 76-66 at the end of three. Tatum did not score a point in the quarter.

Boston managed to cut it to 8 in the fourth, but Curry was simply too much and the Celtics, particularly Tatum, kept turning over the ball. Boston finished with a whopping 22 turnovers, an inadvertent homage to Mike’s Pastry.

The Warriors were clearly motivated to win it in Boston. Hub fans had a lot of fun delivering x-rated chants in the direction of Draymond in the Game 3 win and Messrs. Thompson and Kerr were openly mocked when they accused Celtic fans of showing no class.

Instead of talking, the Warriors responded like true champions, cutting out the hearts of the Celtics and their fans in the next three games.

“This might be the most unlikely one of all,’’ said Kerr.

Golden State’s Game 6 win represented only the second time a visiting team won an NBA championship on the Garden’s parquet floor.

The 1985 Lakers were the first to do it. They had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, two of the best players who ever lived.

Now the Warriors have done it. They played like the old Celtics used to play — when Russell and Friends won a championship in the Los Angeles Forum in 1969, and when Dave Cowens and Havlicek won a Finals Game 7 in Milwaukee in 1974.

These Warriors, like those Celtics, played like true champions. And they showed us that the 2022 Celtics were not yet ready.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/06/17/sports/celtics-theres-plenty-blame-go-around/

For the Celtics, there’s plenty of blame to go around
By Gary Washburn Globe Staff, June 17, 2022


As he walked off the floor after congratulating the Warriors following their fourth NBA championship in eight years, Jayson Tatum had a fan reach over and snatch the sweaty towel off his neck. Tatum didn’t react. He didn’t turn to see the fan. He couldn’t feel a thing.

Tatum came off one of his worst performances in his NBA career on the biggest stage, and his struggles punctuated the meltdown by the Celtics, who actually led this series and led the fourth game in the fourth quarter before falling apart.

This group just wasn’t good enough for title No. 18, no matter how many Celtics legends owner Wyc Grousbeck brought to TD Garden to offer support. Nothing was good enough after Game 3, and in the must-win Game 6, the Celtics punched first, looked flawless in the first six minutes, and then were declawed by a steadier and more experienced opponent.

The Celtics made so many mistakes in their 103-90 loss, so many turnovers, so many missed layups, so many slight defensive breakdowns that turned into easy Golden State buckets.

“Don’t feel like we didn’t have enough,” coach Ime Udoka said. “Just felt like we played probably our worst series of these playoffs. If we play up to the standard of Milwaukee or the Miami series, it’s obviously a different ballgame, especially in Game 4 and 5 when we struggled in the fourth quarter.”

The reality is everybody is to blame for this. President of basketball operations Brad Stevens made the risky trade to bring Derrick White to the Celtics for a first-round pick, a productive Josh Richardson, and underachieving Romeo Langford, and White looked overwhelmed by the Finals.

Udoka decided to play White and Payton Pritchard together in the opening period, hoping the duo would snap out of their malaise, but they teamed for a terrible stretch, as the Warriors responded from a 12-point deficit with a 21-0 run that gave them the lead for good.

The Warriors’ bench players hit shots. They played defense. They rebounded. The Celtics’ bench players committed bad fouls, missed open shots (including a White three that hit the side of the backboard), and were unplayable.

Experience played a major role. The Warriors were in their sixth Finals in eight years. It’s their fourth title in that span. The Celtics hadn’t reached the Finals in 12 years. Tatum was in the sixth grade.

“No, I wouldn’t look at it like [a lack of experience], because we had our chances throughout the series,” Udoka said. “Losing Game 4 and Game 5, we had leads in the fourth quarter. You tighten up and do some things offensively, it’s a different story.

“Obviously, guys didn’t play their best and our bench the last few games struggled. They’ve been consistent all year. I don’t really look at it like we didn’t have enough. Our guys didn’t play their best, honestly. Credit Golden State for that. They had a huge part in that. Very consistent team on the defensive end.”

Udoka ran his starters to a nub because he had little choice, but he was also unable to mount an offense that allowed for his two cornerstones to get easier shots. Jaylen Brown took on the responsibility and pushed through the Golden State defense. His 34-point performance was admirable, and it’s a reason why the Celtics shouldn’t even consider trading him in the offseason.

It reached a point where the Celtics were playing 2 on 5 in this series, with Brown and a half of Tatum, or half of Al Horford, or half of Marcus Smart trying to compete offensively. Tatum looked exhausted at the end, frustrated by Andrew Wiggins’s brilliant defense but also slowed from a stretch where he played for Team USA in the Olympics, took a quick break, and then headed right into training camp.

But the Warriors exposed his weaknesses: His ability to consistently drive to his left, his trouble finishing at the rim, and his habit of stopping in the middle of play after non-calls.

It’s part of a superstar’s journey. Magic Johnson was humbled. Kobe Bryant was humbled. LeBron James was humbled. And Jayson Tatum was humbled. But this isn’t all his fault. Adjustments weren’t made, and if they were, the players didn’t execute them well enough. Udoka understandably didn’t trust anyone deep into his bench, including former first-round pick Aaron Nesmith and a bunch of journeymen that Stevens threw together during this tumultuous season.

It was evident the Celtics were the second-best team in the NBA, and that’s nothing to be ashamed of. But losing in the NBA Finals is always painful, especially when you win two of the first three games. Tatum was barely audible afterward. Brown didn’t have much to say, either. They were humbled by a dynasty.

“Man, still got a lot to learn as a group, individually,” Brown said. “As much as we made growth, turned our season around, still got a lot to learn about the game of basketball. I learned so much during this playoff run. Coming from not playing last year after wrist surgery, coming into this year’s playoffs just being grateful for the opportunity. Stings to come up short, but there’s a lot to learn and the future is bright.”

The reality is they weren’t quite championship-caliber, and that is on the entire organization.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/06/17/sports/trounced-game-6-finals-ouster-by-warriors-celtics-appreciate-how-far-they-came-this-season/

Trounced in a Game 6 Finals ouster by Warriors, the Celtics appreciate how far they came this season
By Adam Himmelsbach Globe Staff, June 17, 2022


As the large black stage was rolled on the court and the Warriors slid the crisp, white NBA champions hats on their heads, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown stood near their bench and watched, seemingly unsure what to do next. Everything about this experience has been new for these Celtics stars, and this moment was no different.

Eventually, Tatum began wading through the families and photographers, and started seeking out Warriors players to congratulate. Brown did the same before walking down through a tunnel toward his locker room with a towel draped over his head.

As Golden State’s trophy presentation began moments later, many fans in green stayed at their seats to record video of the moment. Sure, they were probably crushed by the 103-90 Game 6 loss in these NBA Finals, but it’s also not every day that one gets to witness greatness. And these Warriors, with four titles in the last eight years, certainly qualify.

They are also everything the Celtics hope to eventually become, and for six long, grueling games, Boston got an up-close and sometimes painful view of it all. It received a lesson in real-time.

“It don’t stop hurting,” center Robert Williams said. “It never stops hurting until we’re back in this position again.”

“What I said to the group is there are levels,” coach Ime Udoka added, “and you can see the difference in Golden State.”

Williams said after the loss, Boston’s locker room was quiet. Udoka added that the scene was emotional.

But as the players took turns at the dais in the bowels of the arena after the loss, the frustration about the missed opportunity seemed to be tinged with appreciation for how far this team has come and optimism about the future.

“At the start of the season, nobody thought we’d be here,” Brown said, “and we were two games away from doing something special.”

In January, the Celtics were 11th in the Eastern Conference, under .500, and no lock to even make the playoffs, much less go on a memorable run such as this one.

And in the playoffs, Boston certainly tempted fate. It survived two elimination games in the semifinals against the Bucks, then went on the road to win a Game 7 in the conference finals against the Heat. But this Golden State team left no room for flaws. Instead, it pounced on them.

“The Warriors were on a different level,” forward Al Horford said. “It’s something we all have to accept, and we all have to grow.”

It seems like months ago that Boston held 1-0 and 2-1 leads in this series, flipping from slight underdogs to favorites who had ripped homecourt advantage away from these mighty Warriors.

This season ended with the Celtics’ first three-game losing streak since December, a time when a run like this seemed somewhere between implausible and impossible.

Still, there were moments Thursday when it seemed that perhaps this season would get one last game, a Game 7 in San Francisco where any fluky moment could make an upset possible. Boston surged to a 14-2 lead, and the fans here began to believe.

But the Warriors punched back quickly and seized control with a silencing 21-0 run. Golden State led by as many as 22 points midway through the third period and appeared on the verge of completing the romp. Boston responded with one final run, one final stretch that would give this team hope.

A 3-pointer by Brown with 5:34 left in the fourth pulled the Celtics within 86-78. But a 3-pointer by Andrew Wiggins, who blanketed Tatum throughout this series, was followed by a steal by Klay Thompson that led to a Draymond Green layup, and the run was squashed.

“Tough day for Boston,” Brown said. “Tough day for the Celtics. But, I don’t know what to say.”

Brown had 34 points to lead the Celtics, and Al Horford had 19 points and 14 rebounds. It was a forgettable end to a difficult series for Tatum, who had 13 points on 6 of 18 shooting. Boston was undone by 23 turnovers, continuing a troubling trend.

Stephen Curry, the Finals MVP, had 34 points to lead Golden State, which connected on 19 of 46 3-pointers.

“Obviously, very tough to lose and be in this position,” Horford said. “But I’m very proud of our group. I’m very proud of the growth of our group all year. We went from a below .500 team, an average team, to putting it together.”

Let the whining commence.

The biggest negative connected to the Celtic fan base. The extremes are downright bizarre. ‘This team is great,’ and ‘this team sucks,’ can often be found during the same game. Tatum is a rising superstar, but wait, Tatum may never be a true star at all.

Get a grip.

This season’s weaknesses and issues were known almost from the opening tip-off. A very good starting five limped through the season and postseason from start to finish. Of course we need to blame the training staff there because, heck, they should have magically thought ahead to know how to stop that ligament from getting strained. Sure. Of course.

A team with almost no bigs, and regular injuries to the starting center, no complete point guard behind the starter in that spot, a bench that… wait, there almost is no bench, a rookie coach, and much more, makes it to game six of the finals against a dynasty level team. Yeah. We suck.

So now, the off-season. Ready Celtic fans? Let’s go… we should trade everyone; oh no, no, no, how could you trade that one? Change is the constant Celtic fans, pace is the variable. Get used to it. It’s how this team will take the next step toward hanging banner 18.

I suppose some of the hand wringing is normal. Losing a championship does sometimes feel like finishing last. But my observation is it’s an overblown extreme with us Celtic fans.

The future is bright, but whiners are gonna whine.

I’m going to see it as an unexpected and exciting title run.

While the wild and speculative trade proposals and Brad is great, but Brad sucks cries begin, I think it’s time to catch some baseball.

NYCelt wrote:Let the whining commence.

The biggest negative connected to the Celtic fan base. The extremes are downright bizarre. ‘This team is great,’ and ‘this team sucks,’ can often be found during the same game. Tatum is a rising superstar, but wait, Tatum may never be a true star at all.

Get a grip.

This season’s weaknesses and issues were known almost from the opening tip-off. A very good starting five limped through the season and postseason from start to finish. Of course we need to blame the training staff there because, heck, they should have magically thought ahead to know how to stop that ligament from getting strained. Sure. Of course.

A team with almost no bigs, and regular injuries to the starting center, no complete point guard behind the starter in that spot, a bench that… wait, there almost is no bench, a rookie coach, and much more, makes it to game six of the finals against a dynasty level team. Yeah. We suck.

So now, the off-season. Ready Celtic fans? Let’s go… we should trade everyone; oh no, no, no, how could you trade that one? Change is the constant Celtic fans, pace is the variable. Get used to it. It’s how this team will take the next step toward hanging banner 18.

I suppose some of the hand wringing is normal. Losing a championship does sometimes feel like finishing last. But my observation is it’s an overblown extreme with us Celtic fans.

The future is bright, but whiners are gonna whine.

I’m going to see it as an unexpected and exciting title run.

While the wild and speculative trade proposals and Brad is great, but Brad sucks cries begin, I think it’s time to catch some baseball.

+1

Emotions are running on overload.

Perhaps spending less time dwelling on basketball ATM and spending more time with the grandkids is in order. They have invited me to play Fortnight. I played the other night and apparently, I am the weak link in our group of 4 (quad) and they find great joy in that.

There is not much uniquely different about the Celtics fan base or that of any sports team when it come to an obsessive passion for winning and an equal disdain for losing.

Of course that damn pendulum swings all the way from one side to the other while passing through that sweet spot where everything is centered.

I agree with Shaunessy’s article, he gets paid to report the game.

Rosalie,

I agree.  By just the beginning of the headline alone, "By blowing a massive opportunity, . . ." it seems like he is playing down to a certain subset of fans.  Why not just go with the remainder, "These Celtics showed they're just not ready yet".   Sadly, he has to include the dramatic headline part in order to get attention.

". . . one of the worst blown opportunities in 21st century Boston sports?  Drama much?

Then he brings up ancient history from the last century and concludes that this team is somehow less because they haven't performed to the level of that past glory.

It seems like not living in New England is a bonus, because I cannot listen to these bloviating blowhards.

Shaugnhnessy, being somewhat knowledgeable when it comes to sports is that certain type that likes to play the contrarian. He writes to unsettle the locals. There are certain types who thrive on that. Its their calling card.

Why did that person in charge use that headliner instead of the “Celtics showed they ain’t ready yet” I think thats already been answered. But its not sad its tactical.  Which headline gets the most attention? Enough to keep you reading? He’s not playing down to a certain subset. These outlets conduct research projects all the time. Apparently the Globe’s research study results tells them enough about the reader that they’re trying to attract. If it were a subset, they wouldn’t still be where they are. The Herald, Record American (remember them?) Gone! Bit the dust. They certainly tried to appeal to a certain sunset.

Ive seen enough studies that tell you what attracts the reader and thats one of them.  A style and position that some choose to use and take.
They're trying to get your attention and get a strong reaction be it positive or negative.
It looks like its working.

To address the several comments here criticizing Shaughnessy for the headline of his article I just want to point out that writers do not write the headlines. The department editors of each publications do, and they write whatever headline will attract the most readers or generate the most controversy. I know this for a fact because I wrote for Rolling Stone as a music critic for 15 years, wrote for several years before that for the Philadelphia Bulletin and have also written for Sports Illustrated and Playboy. And have talked to lots of major writers in both music and sports about exactly this. I've also been an editor. The vast majority of writers like Shaughnessy turn in their articles without any headline at all (because they know it will most probably be rejected) and the few who do write a headline know that their editors will always change it to whatever attracts the most eyeballs.

I did agree with this sarcastic one line from Shaughnessy:

"A team with almost no bigs, and regular injuries to the starting center, no complete point guard behind the starter in that spot, a bench that… wait, there almost is no bench, a rookie coach, and much more, makes it to game six of the finals against a dynasty level team. Yeah. We suck."

This team was phenomenal and deserves tons of praise. Next year they will be older an wiser. Mo' betta.

Re headline writing, Steve is 100% correct. The article writers just submit the copy and editors write the headlines. When I worked as a copy boy at the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, the Sports Editor was always trying to sneak funny headlines past the brass, and when he di, he would pin the article and headline up  on the bulletin board. My favorite double entendre was a headline about Frank Lary, known then the the Yankee Killer because he'd beaten the Bronx Bombers nine times in a row when they were THE team. The one column headline he got past the censors read:

Lary Doby
Yanks
His Meat

A comma after Doby would have clarified matters.

RosalieTCeltics wrote:That may be your opinion of him, after seeing stories he has written year after year about the Red Sox. Celtics, Bruins, and sometimes he even tries to appear that he knows a lot about te the Pats, my option of him is different. I read his title and it turns me away. Not because I do not want to read what might be wrong with the Celtics, but the cynical way he writes, a wannabe know it all.  You have your opinion, I have mine

And your welcomed to it…………………………………

Funny, in most cases its the Editor that formulates the headline. At least know who you’re getting angry with.
Some folks are comfortable with their psyche and opinion and don't really care to examine how and why Writers, editors word articles. Might help. Let me be clear, I am not in the business of defending anyones work but my own. I defend a premise. That ain’t going to stop.

If one is pissing you off then its working. You’re pissed and she/he is behind the
The keyboard laughing their ass off.

steve3344 wrote:To address the several comments here criticizing Shaughnessy for the headline of his article I just want to point out that writers do not write the headlines. The department editors of each publications do, and they write whatever headline will attract the most readers or generate the most controversy. I know this for a fact because I wrote for Rolling Stone as a music critic for 15 years, wrote for several years before that for the Philadelphia Bulletin and have also written for Sports Illustrated and Playboy. And have talked to lots of major writers in both music and sports about exactly this. I've also been an editor. The vast majority of writers like Shaughnessy turn in their articles without any headline at all (because they know it will most probably be rejected) and the few who do write a headline know that their editors will always change it to whatever attracts the most eyeballs.

Thank YOU! Knowledge. However there are few writers that have the cache to insert their own headlines. I worked for a newspaper in DC and we had 2 writers where they didn't have to have their headlines run through. I could be wrong but based on his longevity, I would think Dan Shaugnessy may be one of them.

OK, time to go egg the editors house then. Works the same for me.

Be it the writer or the editor, I find the whining negative headlines and/or articles an annoyance. Especially when you consider the self-inflicted hole this team managed to climb out of.

Interesting information however. I hadn't considered that the headline may have been written by an editor with a different angle or agenda than the writer.

NYCelt wrote:OK, time to go egg the editors house then. Works the same for me.

Be it the writer or the editor, I find the whining negative headlines and/or articles an annoyance. Especially when you consider the self-inflicted hole this team managed to climb out of.

Interesting information however. I hadn't considered that the headline may have been written by an editor with a different angle or agenda than the writer.

Headlines are often written by other people and not the author. Interestingly enough, I vaguely remember knowing that in the past and then forgot it. Now I know it again but over time, I am likely to forget it once again.

So it goes, memory over time.

Headline aside, it was still a shoot article, tailored more for clicks than for being an accurate assessment of the past season and playoffs.

NYCelt wrote:OK, time to go egg the editors house then. Works the same for me.

Be it the writer or the editor, I find the whining negative headlines and/or articles an annoyance. Especially when you consider the self-inflicted hole this team managed to climb out of.

Interesting information however. I hadn't considered that the headline may have been written by an editor with a different angle or agenda than the writer.

We only or should I say I only find it an annoyance when its my team they’re dumping on. Quite the opposite with other teams. I find there dumping rather amusing.
Bottom line is-reaction and we are talking about it so they got what they wanted. :>)

Again as a rule, editors write headlines. 3 members on this thread worked at newspapers.
As i said earlier, there are a select few who may be able to bypass the process depending on who they are. As in the case of people like Bob Ryan, quite possibly but the uppers at the Globe decide not the employee.
Its a great possibility that Dan gets a pass but what difference does it really make who wrote it? We either liked what was said or we did not.

Ktron wrote:

NYCelt wrote:OK, time to go egg the editors house then. Works the same for me.

Be it the writer or the editor, I find the whining negative headlines and/or articles an annoyance. Especially when you consider the self-inflicted hole this team managed to climb out of.

Interesting information however. I hadn't considered that the headline may have been written by an editor with a different angle or agenda than the writer.

We only or should I say I only find it an annoyance when its my team they’re dumping on. Quite the opposite with other teams. I find there dumping rather amusing.
Bottom line is-reaction and we are talking about it so they got what they wanted. :>)

You are right; that is quite true!