The arrow is pointing up for the Boston Celtics and first-year head coach Ime Udoka.
Three games under .500 as recently as Jan. 6, the Celtics have won 17 of their last 22 games, including 10 of their last 11, to move up from 11th to sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings and within shouting distance of the top seed -- Boston (35-26) is 4.5 games back of the Chicago Bulls (39-21) through Feb. 25.
On the latest episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast, Chris Forsberg is joined by Mass Live's Brian Robb to discuss Udoka's impact on Boston's rise. Do Celtics fans collectively owe Udoka an apology after growing so impatient with him?
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Celtics Talk: Do we owe Ime Udoka an apology? | Download & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
"He wasn't great at the start of the year, but what first-year coach is?" Forsberg asked. "Did we jump the gun in being a little bit harsh on Ime, considering the situation and roster construction that he had?"
Forsberg: Do Celtics have the best starting five in NBA?
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Robb said that we should absolutely point to the improvements made by the Celtics after their 18-21 start, noting that no one should have been immune from criticism earlier in the year, but that one thing is apparent when it comes to Udoka.
"I think now, it's crystal clear, there was never a question of buy-in from the entire roster," Robb said. "I think he gets credit for that, for keeping that group together through some pretty dark times."
Both Forsberg and Robb pointed to a shorter bench for Boston with tighter rotations as one reason Udoka deserves some credit, with an assist from the front office as well.
Forsberg also noted that if Brad Stevens, whom he considers a very good coach, couldn't get through to these Celtics over the last few seasons, was it fair to expect Udoka -- or anyone else -- to?
"Was it fair to expect Ime Udoka to show up and within three months have this thing cleaned up? What's crazy is, he might have," Forsberg said.
Also discussed in the episode: Do the Celtics have the best starting five in the NBA? What is a realistic seeding for the Celtics in the playoffs, and can they maintain this level of offensive production once they get there? Is Grant Williams an important piece of the team's core moving forward?
Check out the latest episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast on your favorite podcast app or watch it on YouTube below.