It Feels Extremely Weird To Watch The Celtics Lose By Puking All Over Themselves And Not Have It Ruin Your Life

Adam Glanzman. Getty Images.

Heading into this season, I think most rational Celts fans knew what type of year we were walking into. For the first time in 10 years, we as fans don't really have to get all bent out of shape when the Celts decide to collectively play like assholes and blow double digit 4th quarter leads, leading to another embarrassing home loss against a team that stinks. For this season and this season only, losses actually help them when you think of the bigger picture.

It was pretty much agreed upon that this year would not really be about W/Ls and more about development and vibes. That's what a "gap" year is while the organization and the fanbase wait for the return of their best player. 

And yet, I have a confession. It took just 1 game, but I have already failed at this. I tried my hardest, I really did. I understand the bigger picture. I understand why losses actually help. I understand what the roster is and its limitations. None of last night should bother me even the tiniest bit. Right? RIGHT?

Wrong. It did last night, and it does this morning.

I can't help it. Maybe this will get easier as the season goes on and my body/brain will learn to actually enjoy these types of moments, but for now? After Game 1? I find myself annoyed. There's just something about watching bad basketball that does that to me, I don't know how else to explain it. I'm not saying I'm here having a meltdown over a 1 point loss on Opening Night, but what I am saying is I am learning that it may be extremely hard for me not to give a shit when the Celts play like dickheads. Perhaps it's the fact that every single game/season/winning has mattered for 10 straight years, and the Celts haven't had a "tank" season since 2013-14, but last night taught me that I definitely have some work to do this year to get to a point where collapses like last night to bad teams makes me happy, and not annoyed.

Having said all that, there actually were a handful of encouraging signs from the Opener, which I do think matter. I guess to some, perhaps last night's disaster was actually the best-case scenario. We saw some flashes of things that provides encouragement, and at the end of the day, the result may actually help in the long run. It feels VERY weird to live in this place as a fan, so lets dive in

The Good

- Last night was our first true look at Jaylen Brown in his new role of being the #1 option, and I'd say he passed his first test with flying colors. It's important to remember, this new role for Jaylen is not just about his raw individual production. He has to be Jayson Tatum until Jayson Tatum returns, and that means doing EVERYTHING. Scoring, defending, rebounding, elevating those around him, showing up late in games, etc. It's not just about going out and being the leading scorer or taking the most shots. It's about being a complete basketball player. That's the requirement of this type of role, and it's really non-negotiable. As THE GUY, that is the expectation.

So how did Jaylen do? I thought he played one of his best all around games in a while. It felt very close to what we saw in Game 6 against the Knicks, and is the type of performance the team is going to need from him every single time he steps on the floor

The most noticeable difference to me was Jaylen's playmaking. We saw that part of his game take a leap last year, and all signs point to it continuing to develop this year. What made last night feel a little different for me was the fact that all his great playmaking came with essentially ZERO forced shots offensively. I can't think of a "bad" or "forced" shot that Jaylen took, despite the offense going extremely cold for long stretches. He played within the game, kept things simple, and made the right play time and time again. This pass to Neemy is exactly what I mean

Late in the 4th quarter in a close game, how many times have you seen Jaylen take that contested midrange jumper? Especially with a smaller guy defending him? What we actually got, is a testament to his development as a passer. It's growth in his ability to create for others and bring everyone up. That's what Tatum does, and that's what Jaylen has to do. 

I think we all know Jaylen can score. And while it was nice to see his efficiency also improve despite now being the sole focus of a defense, that part of his game I've never worried about. I knew he would thrive with that stuff with more opportunity. But it's stuff like his passing and especially the way he committed to rebounding early that stood out most to me from his debut. That shit starts at the top, and it's on Jaylen to set the standard for this group. 

He played with great patience, didn't dribble into traffic and force things, he led the team in 4th quarter scoring with 12 points on 4-8 shooting, he made all his 4th quarter FTs, the list goes on and on. Who knows how many games this team will win, but the version of Jaylen we got in Game 1 is pretty close to exactly how he needs to be playing, so that was good to see.

- I would also say the same thing of Neemias Queta. Thrown into his new role as the starting center on this team, I'd say Neemy gave exactly what he needed to do in his minutes.

Admittedly, there were some defensive rebounding issues with him on the floor late in the 4th quarter before fouling out, which wasn't great, but overall? I'll take 17/8 on good efficiency with some good rim protection in 24 minutes and you should too. If this season is about development and guys getting reps to show they are worth keeping around for the next iteration of the roster, I feel confident in saying that Neemy is off to a good start in that department.

I'd even go as far to say he did kind of get boned in terms of a whistle, so I don't even put fouling out on him. There were multuple plays he went straight up to block a shot, only to get boned by Scott Foster. That's life. But compare this performance to how Neemy looked in the preseason, and they are two wildly different players. 

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He looks VERY comfortable understanding when and how to roll coming out of P&R which is going to be huge for him since he's not exactly a floor spacer. The Celts aren't going to run their pick and pop offense with him, so it's crucial that he be an effective roller instead. Think, Luke Kornet. I thought he had good spatial awareness and made sure to be in the right spot to position himself for easy dump-off passes, and the defense wasn't nearly the disaster I was preparing for. All in all, a more than solid starter debut.

- I usually hate change, especially when it comes to the look of the Boston Celtics, but I actually like the darker green on the court. 

I thought it came through well on TV, and I do like how it's closer to matching the green jerseys (although they really shouldn't wear those at home, I'll die on this hill).

- Did I ever think I'd be in this section talking about Anfernee Simons' defense? No, but here we are. After his initial struggles in the 1st quarter, it really felt like Ant more than held up on that end of the floor for the rest of the game. I'm not saying he was 1st Team All Defense or anything like that, but it was definitely "passable", and frankly that's all I'm asking for.

The effort was clearly there, especially on ball

He had that one great defensive possession in transition where he essentially stopped a fastbreak by himself, and overall I walked away from his debut happy with his defensive performance. It wasn't perfect, there are going to be rough moments, but it was nowhere near the disaster that I think most were expecting. He then also had some positive moments offensively

So in terms of his debut, I'd say it was anywhere from "fine" to "good".

- Alright, that's pretty much it. We can move on.

The Bad

- Given the state of the roster, the Celts play with an EXTREMELY small margin for error. This is not the same team we've seen the last few years where they can dick around and then eventually their talent will carry them over the finish line. Now, if this team screws around when it comes to the margins, they are going to lose. Period.

All you had to do was look at this game. The Celts were killed around the margins, and it ended up being extremely impactful. Time and time again we saw the Sixers snag OREB which turned into 2nd chance points. Almost every time the Celts turned it over, it led to points. They lost the 3P margin. Eventually, it all adds up.

Take the OREB/2nd chance points issue. For the game, the Sixers snagged 10 OREB, which led to 21 2nd chance points. The issue was that 3 of those OREBs and 10 of those 2nd chance points came in the 4th quarter. The very thing we all knew would be an issue for this team (defensive rebounding) ended up costing them a game right out of the jump. So while the Celts may have won the overall rebounding battle 42-40, when it came time to win and secure clean defensive possessions, they failed. It didn't matter if they went double big, or just had Queta on the floor, their inability to rebound and prevent 2nd chance points was a major factor in this loss and you saw how and why this is going to be a problem all year.

- To give you an idea of how this game went, this was an airball

Brian Babineau. Getty Images.

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So, yeah.

- It may sound like a copout, but in the NBA you simply have to make your open looks. Sadly, the Celts decided to go with the opposite approach. Payton/White/Hauser/Simons went a combined 9-32 (28%) from deep. As a team, the Celts had 50 (!!!!!!) potential assists, yet only finished with 16, which was the lowest total in the Joe Mazzulla Era. 

The ball moved great. Guys got great looks. But if you can't make your open looks, this team stands no chance. Their success sort of hinges on their shooters being able to actually knock down open shots. I'm not sure if you know this, but that's an important part of basketball.

- We also saw what happens when the Celts change their approach and trade 2s for 3s. The Celts toko just 47% of their FGA from deep, which means they took more 2s than 3s. They won the points in the paint battle 48-36 and took 26 FTA, yet still lost. Why?

Because of 3PT shooting, They only took 43, and lost that battle 16-11. This was a prime example of when your opponent is producing from deep, you cannot counter with 2s. It's simple math. The Celts made more FGM and shot a better FG% in this game and lost. Why? Because they were outshot from deep. 

Down the stretch, 7 of their final 11 shots were 2s. They finished 2-7. They attacked and avoided threes in favor of contested 2s, and how did that work out? Hopefully this game finally helps people understand these losses are about EXECUTION, and this idea that if you stop taking 3s and take more 2s you'll automatically win just isn't reality. The same thing happened in GM2 against the Knicks, yet all people talk about is the 3s. It's very maddening, just watch the game! 

- Aside from the frontcourt issues, we also saw the weaknesses when it comes to the perimeter defense. Their point of attack defense was dogshit. Maxey abused whoever was on him, VJ Edgecomb had a career night, and it just felt like there was little to no resistance. 

It also didn't look all the great the second any big was put in space defensively. We knew that was an issue going in, and it was confirmed after only 1 game. All an offense has to do is force a switch and boom, that's going to be an easy two points, Tillman, Queta, Garza, all of them are way too slow footed to guard effectively in space, especially against quicker guards. 

The Ugly

- You know Celts basketball is back when they are puking all over themselves in the 4th quarter to blow a double digit lead at home. That felt very, very familiar

Just zero defense. 59/70%? Grow up. In winning time, to allow a 42 point quarter is so bad I don't even know how to explain it other than it being losing basketball. Just close the game! You were up 7-9 points with around 3 minutes left. That HAS to be a win. 

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Instead, the offense went cold, they couldn't stop a nosebleed on the other, and when you combine those two together, you get a horrific collapse.

- In terms of the final play, Payton Pritchard had two cracks at it, and wasn't particularly close on either of them

Ideally you'd probably like one of those shots to go to someone like Jaylen, which Derrick talked about postgame

and honestly, those were looks that we've seen Payton make a million times. He just missed. That's life. Jaylen wasn't really open on that initial set, so they went with the next best option. Rather than force things to Jaylen and potentially turn it over, Derrick gave the ball to a guy who's new role requires him to come through in spots like that. This time it didn't happen, next time it probably will.

All in all, the Celts season debut was a performance that normally would bother me for the next 48 hours but weirdly I'm mostly fine. A little annoyed, but remember, the results don't really matter. Build upon the good moments, correct the mistakes, and let's see how things look on Friday.

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It definitely feels like loser talk, but considering I expected this team to live around 37-39 wins, these types of performances are pretty much what you expect.