After providing optimism with a four-game winning streak heading into the All-Star break, the Boston Celtics find themselves back in a funk.
The C's have lost three of their last four with their most recent defeat coming against the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. The loss brings Boston back to .500 on the season (20-20) and has the team searching for answers before it's too late.
Forsberg: Trades won't matter unless C's core decides to change
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On a new Celtics Talk Podcast, old friend Kyle Draper joined Chris Forsberg to discuss his perspective of the C's struggles from afar, as well as their biggest issue right now.
Celtics Talk Podcast: Kyle Draper pours cold water on our Harrison Barnes hopes | Listen & subscribe | Watch on YouTube
"As talented as the Celtics are, they still don't have the right chemistry," Draper said. "Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can get their shots at any time. They can score at any time. But a truly great player starts the game off making sure other guys get going. I feel like when watching the Celtics, Jaylen and Jayson, they're coming out and they want to get off to great starts. We know that, but that's offensively. Now, they've got to learn how to make other players better.
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"It sort of reminds me of a Kyrie Irving type. ... When you watch Kyrie play, offensively he comes out the gate looking to score, being aggressive. I'm seeing the same from Tatum and Jaylen Brown. ... They need to slow down, trust the other guys a little bit and then see what happens."
So what's the number one problem the Celtics need to fix if they're to get back on track?
"I would say crunch-time struggles," Draper answered. "A few years ago, close games, we knew the Celtics would find a way. Whether it's Marcus Smart drawing some charges, some pressure, they would be down five or six points in the final minutes but you always felt, 'All right, they're about to turn it up.' And so, now they go to flip that switch and it's not quite there. To me, it's late in games."
Also in the new episode: What can Danny Ainge do in the coming week to fix this roster, and what would he have to give up to get Harrison Barnes from the Kings? Forsberg and Draper discuss which players from around the league could be key additions for the C's and break down the Eastern Conference and where the Celtics fall in. And even with a trade acquisition, are they good enough to beat the top teams?
Check out the latest episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast on your favorite podcast app or watch it on YouTube below.