This season was supposed to be massive for the Boston Celtics, who boast the talents of a plethora of great players. Jayson Tatum, Jalen Brown, Marcus Smart, and Kemba Walker are all wonderful players to have on your roster and with this in mind, the expectations were high. While the team started off well, they are now 15-15 on the season, which has led to speculation about whether or not this team is poised to make a run.
While hosting his new ESPN+ show on Monday, Smith was asked by a young woman about her Celtics, and whether or not he sees a clear problem with the team. Smith sensed that the woman was sad, which left the sportscaster feeling a tad emotional. He then went on to explain the issue with the Celtics, noting that Walker needs to start playing at a higher level.
“Kemba Walker, that’s the question mark,” Smith said. “Don’t get too mad at him okay, he’s got knee issues. He’s only shooting 34 percent from the field, that’s not Kemba Walker. That’s not what he does. He’s clearly not 100 percent. And Marcus Smart has been out. But I’m still going to look at coach Brad Stevens because guess what you have two studs as the cornerstone of your franchise, Kemba’s still averaging 17, you got decent pieces up in there. It’s about you being able to peel out the greatness in other people.”
The Eastern Conference has been looking pretty strong as of late, and the Celtics will have to start getting back in the win column if they want any chance at keeping up. Perhaps once their injury woes pass, they’ll be back in the driver’s seat.
