As the reigning champions, many had high hopes for the Boston Celtics this season. And to begin the year, those expectations were met. They were 19-4 at one point and looked like the same dominant team from last year. However, the Celtics have come back down to earth in recent games. So much so that fans are starting to wonder if they are just in a slump or full-on regressing. Boston is just 7-6 in their last 13 games and has lost multiple games they had no business losing. This includes losses to the Orlando Magic without Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, the Sacramento Kings without De’Aaron Fox, and the Philadelphia 76ers on Christmas Day. After a loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, Kristaps Porzingis spoke about the team’s shortcomings and made it clear that the Celtics need to turn things around soon (YouTube link).
“I thought we had no spirit, again, and we had no personality today as a team,” Porzingis said. “We were just going up and down. It’s weird to say. We have high-character people here, but it’s just, things are not going our way. We’re a step slow here, there, this. Just no spirit, no personality.”
Additionally, the Latvian native acknowledged that the team is playing “some bad basketball” and needs to lock in mentally.
“I think we individually have to look at ourselves, where we can improve, what we need to do better,” Porzingis told reporters. “Are we fit? Are we feeling good? Are we locked in mentally? And then try to fix some of the stuff that we have going on. But it’s not the end of the world. Every team has ups and downs. It’s just tonight, it feels like (expletive) right now, and we played some bad basketball.”
Kristaps Porzingis Gets Brutally Honest About ‘No Spirit’ Celtics
The Boston Celtics’ Season is Not Over…Yet
Even given their slump, the Celtics are still a top team in the league. They have a 28-12 record and are a top-10 team on both sides of the ball. However, it is clear that something is off with the team. They are not playing the brand of basketball that won them a title last year. Furthermore, most players on the team are ice-cold right now, something that rarely happened last season.
Biggest reason for any Celtics anxiety is the top of the East/path to Finals looks much harder than last season. Beyond that (and aside from championship hangover) a few guys not shooting as well + some nights where they could use one more versatile perimeter reserve. Not… https://t.co/5sgKovG4Gn
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) January 16, 2025
There are reasons to believe the Celtics are coasting through the regular season and hoping to pick things back up after the All-Star Break. The intensity level is not there, and they are beating themselves in games that would have been blowout victories last season. However, Boston’s slump has been going on for a month. How (or if) the Celtics turn things around is something to monitor.
