The Boston Celtics have found themselves in a tough position here as we head toward the All-Star break. At 15-17 on the season, they’re currently in ninth place in the East and have lost three straight games. The organization’s CEO Wyc Grousbeck had a curious explanation for that, pointing the finger at Kyrie Irving’s departure two summers ago, claiming that it set off a “domino effect” from which the team is still trying to recover.
It’s not as crazy as it might seem on the surface. Of course, there are plenty of other factors that have led to them under-performing this season. Multiple players have missed significant time due to COVID protocols and/or injury, but for a team that was in the conference finals last season, they expectations were much higher for this point of the season.
To make matters worse, the universe has added both insult and injury to Brad Stevens’ woes as he tries to navigate the treacherous road ahead. In an appearance on a local Boston radio show on Thursday, Stevens revealed that he had to undergo dental surgery and was the victim of identify theft, both in the same week.
A week in Brad Stevens’ shoes according to him:
Root canal & identity theft >>> Celtics’ recent skid(@ZoandBertrand) pic.twitter.com/SqC12QlPbG
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) February 25, 2021
“I was just telling my wife, I had a root canal and my identity stolen last week and I think those were two of my better days in the last eight days. Like, it’s just been what it is,” Stevens said.
Stevens and the Celtics will try to end their three-game skid on Friday night in Boston as they host the Pacers.