Boston Celtics: What Went Wrong on the Road Trip and How to Fix It
By Thomas King
The Boston Celtics went 1-4 on their most recent road trip, and didn’t look anything like an Eastern Conference favorite. What went wrong and how can the Boston Celtics fix it?
After an uninspiring 1-4 road trip from the green team, the sky is falling for a lot of Boston Celtics fans. Some are feeling like they got fleeced by a used car salesman, finding out their engine is finished shortly after driving off the lot.
Well, rest easy Celtics fans; the Boston engine is in perfect working order, but coach Stevens may have to change the oil, get new brake pads, rotate and realign the tires. The Celtics need only make a few small changes, mostly in attitude and effort, along with a couple of of tactical tweaks in order to maximize their gas mileage and for a smooth ride on the road to a championship.
In the first eight games of the season, the offense was the biggest problem; on the West Coast swing, the defense showed some holes as well. Boston gave up at least 100 points and surrendered 10 three-pointers made or more in all five games. In the first eight games, only three opponents made as many threes.
In Indiana, Victor Oladipo walked right into a game-winning three-pointer without any defensive pressure. In Denver, Jamal Murray scored a career-high 48 points. In Phoenix, Devin Booker continued to be a Boston killer.