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Celtics news: Malcolm Brogdon, Time Lord, and Magic vengeance

By Tarringo Basile-vaughan

Dec 16, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon (13), forward Blake Griffin (91) and guard Jaylen Brown (7) on the court against the Orlando Magic in the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 16, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon (13), forward Blake Griffin (91) and guard Jaylen Brown (7) on the court against the Orlando Magic in the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /
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Live by the three, die by the three.  The one aspect of their game that the Boston Celtics still need to improve on is finding other ways to score, other ways to win when their shots aren’t falling.

It happened during their back-to-back losses to the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers, and it happened again Friday night in the shocking loss to the Orlando Magic.  Bad shooting nights are going to happen, but when the team is outplayed on top of the shots not falling, they are still capable of losing to anyone.

In other words, they can’t just show up and expect to win. For that, Malcolm Brogdon is calling out his teammates.

"“They played harder,” Brogdon said following the game on Friday night, via NESN.  “They made shots.  We did not make shots that we usually make tonight.  But overall, I thought they gave more effort and I think that’s the issue.  It’s not the non-shot making, it’s the effort.  We’ll pick it up on Sunday, for sure.”"

Boston Celtics called out for their lack of effort vs Magic

Effort wasn’t an issue when the team jumped out to a 21-5 record.  But, those losses, particularly the loss to the Warriors brought forth old habits.  In a game in which Jayson Tatum struggled, the team as a while failed to do the things that made them the best team in the league this season.  Suddenly, the ball movement stopped, and the defensive communication became an issue.

A player shooting the ball like Steph Curry shoots the ball can do that to any team, but when the effort is not there, those bad habits can be even more frustrating.  While Tatum and Jaylen Brown have grown into better leaders on and off the court, it is good to have a veteran like Brogdon speaking out and challenging his team.

As much as an asset as he has been on the court, his greater value is the leadership he adds in the locker room.  It is good to see that is already showing during the team’s first real adversity in this early part of the 2022-23 NBA season.

Celtics big man Robert Williams ‘picked up where he left off’ in season debut

Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics center Robert Williams III. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) /

The much-anticipated season debut of Robert Williams III was disrupted by a surprising loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday night, but the team and fans have every reason to be excited.

Whether the team overlooked the suddenly red-hot Magic or was still battling jetlag from an exhausting West Coast trip, having Williams back out there on the floor is a much greater win than a mid-December loss to a team they typically wipe the floor with.

In having Williams back, the Celtics add depth to the front court and get that familiar rim protector back.  In scoring nine points and grabbing five rebounds it was as if Time Lord hasn’t missed anytime at all.

Just take a look at this weak side defense from Williams:

"“I thought he picked up where he left off as far as his weak-side defense,” Mazzulla said, as transcribed by WEEI.  “…He just looked comfortable out there, so I was happy for him.”"

While it was great to have that rim protection back, another attribute of Robert Williams III that showed after the loss was his competitive nature.  Although he was happy to be back on the court, he was not happy that his team loss.

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Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum out vs Magic

The Boston Celtics will look to get some revenge against the Orlando Magic when the two teams square off again on Sunday afternoon, but they will have to do it without Jayson Tatum.

As reported by Masslive.com, the team’s best player will miss the game due to personal reasons.  It will be the second game Tatum has missed this season which will be a challenge for the rest of the team to step up.

Next. Robert Williams makes NBA’s best team even more dominate. dark

That does mean more of Jaylen Brown and more of players like Marcus Smart and Brogdon stepping up as scorers.  The Celtics will also need Derrick White, Grant Williams, and Sam Hauser off the bench to get back to their hot shooting ways.  With Brogdon calling out the team’s effort, this should be a more energetic team taking on the Magic even without Tatum.

It will be interesting how the team responds and who steps up to make u for the 30.2 points per game that will be void due to Tatum’s absence.

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