Boston Celtics Out of Sync Heading into Road Trip

The Boston Celtics need to figure things out as they begin a road trip on a three game losing streak

The Boston Celtics came back from their trip to London feeling phenomenal about where they were. The team was the healthiest they had been all season long, they got more extra rest than any other team in the league. They were riding a seven game winning streak, with a comfortable lead for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics were in the best position they were all season long, and had a great opportunity to really build a commanding in the East. Unfortunately, things have not gone so well in the two games since getting back from London.

The great health did not quite hold up, as Kyrie Irving was sidelined with shoulder soreness following their overtime loss to the Pelicans. Without Irving, the offense could not get anything going, and Joel Embiid was able to carry the 76ers past the Celtics. Then, Irving returned, and not even his 40 point burst was enough to get the team back on track against a bottom dwelling Magic team.

The Celtics have not been playing consistently on either end, and everything is looking out of sync right now. The defense has been abused by standout big men like Anthony Davis and Embiid, and the offense is all out of sorts. We saw how little they were able to get going with Irving out of the lineup, and then it felt like nobody was able to get on the same page once he got back in.

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The Celtics have lost three straight games to teams that they should have no problem beating, and they still are not going to get a chance to really get comfortable as they are heading out onto a four game road trip, including another back to back in L.A.

There are always going to be ups and downs, and these kinds of stretch are usually inevitable. The problem is that the Celtics are back to playing the way they did during that extended bad stretch in December. Any team can survive brief stretches where they cannot play well, but the Celtics may not be able to survive another stretch like they went through in December.

The Celtics also do not have a terrible schedule to look to right now. The team got their extra rest and had the extra time to address the issues that made them so inconsistent during December. It looked like things might have turned around during the seven game winning streak, but they have regressed all the way back now.

The Celtics have learned that they are not going to consistently win if their defense does not hold up and their versatility is not able to handle the size they are against. The Celtics also know their offense is not going to be good enough with just their individual talent. During this losing streak, the interior defense has broken down and the offense is not functioning as a unit, or putting players in an advantageous position.

The Celtics know that they are capable of beating any team at their best, because they have already defeated all the top teams in the league right now. The unfortunate reality is that their floor has been just as extreme this season. They continually play down to their competition and give up massive runs to weak teams.

The Celtics have gotten an idea of what kind of play puts them in those bad situations, but they clearly still do not know how to consistently fix the issues. There can be certain individual matchup problems that add or help the situation, but the Celtics still need to do more with the things that are in their control.

Maybe the Celtics actually got some unwanted rust as a result of their London trip break, but that is never going to be an acceptable excuse. The Celtics have already taken a lot of damage with this three game losing streak, but they have enough of a cushion to be fine if they can take care of business on this road trip.

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The Celtics just got another glimpse of how bad things can get for this team, even when health is not a major concern, and if that continues on this road trip the Celtics could see the Raptors jump over them for the top seed in the East.

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