BOSTON — The Boston Celtics aren’t the same team they were last year. At least, that’s what it feels like right now. Last season, Boston would rip off win streaks like they were nothing. Now, they’re struggling to string together victories at all. A loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night embodied everything going wrong, as everyone from Jaylen Brown to Derrick White to Jrue Holiday had their struggles.
Boston is still in a good spot in the Eastern Conference standings, but it’s no secret that they aren’t at their best right now. The fanbase was spoiled with a lack of doubt last season, but now, they’ve been left desperately searching for answers.
And that’s why Holiday’s reasoning should be noted.
Jrue Holiday on Celtics: 'Sometimes, you just go through it'
After Celtics shootaround on Friday morning, Holiday was asked about why he believes the team isn’t in a good rhythm right now. He kept it simple.
“I don't know. Just think we go through it. Maybe that's what I'll use, is that, sometimes, you go through it,” Holiday said. “Pretty sure people in life just go through it. You're not really sure what it is, but you try to stay as consistent as possible, doing the right things, and eventually, that'll carry out, and you'll be in a good way.
“Again, I think we show signs that we're in a good rhythm, or whatever you want to call it. But sometimes you just go through whatever it is that we're going through, and thank God it's January.”
For fans searching for reasons, it’s easy to point at the Celtics and blame them for not looking as excited or locked-in as they may need to be.
But Holiday doesn’t see joy or passion as issues.
“Yeah, I think we have the joy and passion. I think sometimes you just go through times like this, where it's a rough patch,” Holiday said. “Last year, I don't really think we did, so it's probably a bit different. But again, I think, as a team, we stay together, and we stay a collective, and that's all we have to do is try to push through.”
Celtics fans have had the luxury of a stress-free year. Outside of a few scattered losses, last year’s Celtics team marched to a title with relative ease. But that’s the exception, not the rule.
It’s rare for a team to dominate on the level that Boston did last year. And when a team wins a title, slumps like this are even more common the following season.
So, while fans may be eager to get to the bottom of things and seek out answers, the reality is the Celtics are just going through it right now. And as Holiday stated, it’s still only January. They have plenty of time to turn things around.