BOSTON – In the end, they were the team we followed for six months … the “frustrating” Boston Celtics.
The team we thought was built to win 65 games with the addition of Malcolm Brogdon. The team we thought we more than ready to finally make that next step, and win a championship, fell flat on its face when the lights were their brightest.
The T.D. Boston Garden hasn’t been this electric since the second coming of The Big Three – Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen – we competing and winning championships, well at least one.
But a twisted ankle in the first minute to Jayson Tatum and this all blew up, appearing more to be built on a house of cards.
The Celtics lost three playoff games at the Garden … in 11 days, including the biggest one, Game 7, 103-82, to the Miami Heat.
The Heat move on to play the Denver Nuggets.
Wow. Where do we begin?
How about here:
The Celtics were not championship timber. This team never really was that special team we expected it to be.
Sure they were good, but this title run was paved for them in green. The top-seeded Bucks lost. The Sixers were mediocre and folded, as usual. And the Heat barely made the playoffs.
But the Heat had something the Celtics didn’t.
Fire.
They weren’t as good as the Celtics, man for man, but they defended and they cared. Remember, their other 20-point scorer, Tyler Herro, missed the last three weeks.
They created this shield on defense, sort of zone, that looked like an umbrella. And the Celtics couldn’t figure it out on four different occasions.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, all too-often, couldn’t break it with any consistency.
Ahh, consistency. That’s the other word of day when it comes to your Boston Celtics, or really lack thereof.
Brogdon, who’s been plagued the last three games with a tear in the ligament from his shooting elbow, didn’t mince any words when it came to consistency.
It was all, he said, on the defensive end.
“Defense,” said Brogdon. “It was the issue. Last year the team prided self on defense. This year our calling card was offense. You don’t win with a better offense than defense. There are ways we can score. We’re the best offensive team in the league … But when you’re not hitting shots … ”
The team’s unofficial captain, Al Horford, went out of his way to note this team went through a lot this year.
A lot? If he’s talking about the coaching change, putting a greener than green NBA rookie in charge, Joe Mazzulla, well, he’s probably on to something.
But president Brad Stevens was between a rock and a hard place after Ime Udoka’s embarrassing suspension and later dismissal due to conduct detrimental to the team.
It happened a few weeks before training camp broke. What was Stevens supposed to do.
The obvious candidate to replace Udoka was Damon Stoudamire, who had NBA experience as a coach and player, but his connection with Udoka probably concerned Stevens.
Then the Celtics jumped out to a 21-5 start and everything was fine.
It wasn’t. The Celtics we came to know, the inconsistent, frustrating bunch, took over.
At times there were good, great, mediocre, bad, good, great … And that was just over two weeks.
The 2022-23 never found their way.
Until the last three games, or so we thought.
The Celtics won Game 4 in Miami, dominated Game 5 in Boston, and stole a close one (it happens) in Game 6 in Miami.
The team we thought they were supposed to be …
Tatum’s early injury gave the Celtics an excuse. But it was more than the injury.
What we saw in Game 7 we saw in Games 1, 2 and especially 3 against the Heat.
The Celtics looked confused.
Sort of like Mazzulla sounded after the game when asked about what went wrong on Monday night, other than the fact Miami was the better team.
“We shot 21 percent (really 24) from three-point line,” Mazzulla.
Nope. The Celtics lost because they folded when everybody was watching, ready to forgive their “frustrating” season on inconsistency.
Several former players returned, including Pierce and Rajon Rondo. They had videos made with David Ortiz and Julian Edelman.
All for naught.
Everybody did their part. The 2022-23 Celtics, unfortunately, did theirs.
You can email Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.