Boston Celtics get blowout win, but serious cracks in the foundation are evident

It’s always good to be sick and tired of losing, but it’s fair to question if Marcus Smart took things too far the other night when he took aim at the Boston Celtics’ top two stars following a frustrating loss to the Chicago Bulls.

Smart made valid points about stagnant offense at the end of games, but the soundbites that came from that night could have irreparable damage depending on where things go next. Saying so bluntly that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown need to pass the ball more could have the two walking on eggshells, or worse, holding an on-court grudge.

Don’t expect the latter, but definitely expect schematic changes to Ime Udoka’s offense to improve late-game execution. Of course, Udoka probably wants to avoid the Smart situation growing more volatile.

Luckily, there were no late-game situations to test out any new sets as the Boston Celtics took care of business and knocked off the Orlando Magic with their finest defensive effort of the young season.

Orlando scored just 79 points on 32% shooting overall, missing 34 of their 43 3-point attempts in the process.

Boston dropped 92 themselves, powered by 28 points from Jaylen Brown. That’s what’s supposed to happen against a rebuilding team.

This win doesn’t settle any nerves that may be rattled by the uncertainty of the team’s locker-room morale moving forward considering the Woj bomb dropped tonight before the game (via Bleacher Report):

"ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Celtics had a players-only meeting that “was emotional at times” following Monday’s 128-114 loss to the Chicago Bulls. Wojnarowski also suggested it was “not a terribly productive meeting, maybe not even beneficial,” adding “these are issues with this team and this group that have been going on for a while.”"

Winning is usually a cure-all, but this game’s events don’t avoid another meltdown if the current Eastern Conference #1 seed Miami Heat lay a hometown beatdown on their historical rival.

Perhaps that players-only meeting could end up benefitting the Cs if they can escape the Sunshine State with a Magic-Heat sweep.

Then again, there’s some pretty evident cracks in the foundation. The ‘Jays’ and Smart have gone through three different iterations of locker-room drama, and it has reared its ugly head once again.