Eddie House Rips Celtics' Defense After Toronto Thrashing
Eddie House Rips Celtics' Defense After Toronto Thrashing
Former Boston Celtics guard Eddie House has criticized the team's defense after their embarrassing 133-88 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Friday night. The Celtics have now lost three of their last four games, and their defense has been a major problem all season long. They currently rank 29th in the NBA in defensive rating, allowing opponents to score an average of 116.8 points per 100 possessions.
House's Criticism
House, who played for the Celtics from 2007 to 2010, said the team's defense is "not good enough." He said the Celtics are "not communicating" and "not playing together." He also said the team is "not making any adjustments" to their defensive schemes.
"The Celtics' defense is not good enough," House said. "They're not communicating, they're not playing together, and they're not making any adjustments. It's the same thing every night. They get beat off the dribble, they give up open threes, and they don't rebound. It's a mess out there."
Celtics' Defensive Struggles
The Celtics' defensive struggles have been evident all season long. They have allowed opponents to shoot 47.3% from the field, which is the fourth-worst mark in the NBA. They have also allowed opponents to make 37.3% of their three-pointers, which is the sixth-worst mark in the NBA.
The Celtics have struggled to stop opposing guards from penetrating the paint. They have also struggled to rebound the basketball. They are currently ranked 29th in the NBA in rebounding.
Different Perspectives
Some people believe that the Celtics' defensive struggles are due to a lack of talent. The Celtics have a number of young players on their roster, and they may not be ready to play at a high level defensively.
Others believe that the Celtics' defensive struggles are due to a lack of effort. The Celtics have been criticized for not playing hard enough on the defensive end of the floor.
Still others believe that the Celtics' defensive struggles are due to a lack of coaching. Celtics coach Ime Udoka has been criticized for not putting his players in a position to succeed defensively.
Conclusion
The Celtics' defense has been a major problem all season long. They need to find a way to improve on that end of the floor if they want to be a contender. House's criticism of the team's defense is valid. The Celtics need to make some changes if they want to turn things around.
The Celtics have a lot of talent on their roster. They have Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart. They also have some good young players in Robert Williams III and Payton Pritchard. If the Celtics can put it all together, they could be a dangerous team. But they need to improve their defense first.