Before the 2022-23 NBA season got underway, the Boston Celtics were in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, with the team suspending head coach Ime Udoka for team policy violations.
Ultimately, this suspension resulted in Udoka and the Celtics parting ways and the team promoting Joe Mazzulla as the new head coach.
Although many anticipated the Celtics falling off this season due to the Udoka distraction, Mazzulla was able to steer this team to the Eastern Conference Finals once again.
Despite Mazzulla’s success in taking over for Udoka, the Celtics are now on the verge of being eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals by the eighth-seeded Miami Heat, and things seem to be falling apart publicly.
According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, the team’s internal problems are starting to surface, which might result in drastic changes this summer via FanDuel TV.
“I’ve had a source tell me in the past week that this Celtics team feels like a group that’s tired of fake liking each other” 😳@KevinOConnorNBA talks all things Celtics before Game 4
Tune in Tuesday and Thursday mornings on FanDuel TV ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/8mBntzH62w
— FanDuel TV (@FanDuelTV) May 23, 2023
Once the Eastern Conference Finals end, with the Celtics almost certainly being eliminated by the Heat, the attention will turn to the team’s star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Although Tatum had shown flashes of brilliance, especially during the last round of the playoffs when he scored an NBA-record 51 points in Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers, he has been anything but consistent in the postseason, leading to doubts about his leadership and ability to be a No. 1 option.
As for Brown, the writing might be on the wall regarding an imminent departure, even though he earned All-NBA honors, which makes him eligible for a supermax contract.
The Celtics have a lot of things to work out this summer, and this team might look much different next season as a result.
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Marcus Smart Makes His Thoughts Clear About Coaching Criticism
