Paul Pierce is surprised by Jayson Tatum and the Celtics’ performances. He highlighted something that never happens and used the Knicks’ Josh Hart to illustrate a larger point.
The Boston Celtics are standing on the precipice of a potentially unexpected end to their season. If they lose Game 3 against the New York Knicks, that would likely be the end of their NBA title defense.
Boston has been poor in both games, creating a horrible playoff record in Game 1. Game 2 was hardly better; another 20-point comeback came courtesy of a massively struggling Jayson Tatum.
The criticism is unlikely to stop unless they can perform better. Paul Pierce’s wild promise came back to haunt him after a Game 2 loss, but he has some meaningful insights for the team.
The heartening thing for Boston is that they have lost both games by a combined four points. They are not far off the Knicks, especially if they take what the former Celtics legend has to say to heart.
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesPaul Pierce says all the Celtics are struggling, and they need to make ‘extra effort plays’
Josh Hart has made a successful NBA career for himself by making what Pierce calls ‘extra effort plays.’ His tenacity and hustle are almost unmatched in the league today.
Pierce used him as an example while also calling out the Celtics’ stars, specifically Tatum. He said, “Your shot comes and goes right now, he’s been rebounding.
“It’s the defensive end and the clutch, these are the little things. Stepping up on that end of the court, it’s not just him, everyone is struggling.
“Guys who I expect to play well, Jrue is struggling, Derrick White is struggling, Jaylen Brown, they are all struggling, I’ve never seen all at the same time.
“Usually, you have one player at minimum all have a big game. Minimum. There’s extra effort plays that are not being made.
“Hart, the smallest player on the court, is getting offensive rebounds. This is not a gameplan adjustment, I believe, this is a mental adjustment they have to make.
“If they can do that, they can get right back in this series. Maybe some hands need to get thrown.”
The Boston Celtics just really need to find their shot
While Pierce isn’t wrong about the mentality and effort Boston requires, the actual answer is a lot simpler. The Celtics need to shoot the ball better.
In Game 1, they missed 45 three-pointers. In Game 2, they missed 30. The Celtics have an average true shooting percentage of 46.6%, which is not good enough.
Some of the threes they have missed have been defended well. However, it would take only a couple of the wide open looks to fall to change everything about the series.
Boston has built their identity around the three-pointer, and now is not the time to abandon what works. When it’s time for Game 3, the Celtics just need to find their shot.