Things are not going well in Boston. The Celtics lost five out of their first seven games to start the 2021-22 NBA season, while there has been some friction in the locker room as well. This reportedly prompted a players-only meeting that took place ahead of the team’s clash against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the meeting included discussions about the Celtics’ bad form and recent fallout against the Chicago Bulls that saw them suffer a 128-114 loss despite leading 14 points to start the half. The players also touched on the subject of guard Marcus Smart’s comments about his teammates Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

After the Bulls game, Smart said that Brown and Tatum are being poor distributors and “don’t want to pass the ball.” He also urged them to “create for others on this team to open up the court for them later down in the game.”

It appears that the meeting, described as “emotional at times,” helped Boston at least in the short run. The Celtics bounced back with a 92-79 win against the Magic and improved their record to 3-5.

Speaking with reporters after the game, Jaylen Brown confirmed the Celtics had a players-only meeting but declined to talk further on the subject.

“Team meeting, just an opportunity to talk as a group, get some communication going in, and move forward,” Brown said.

The post Celtics Held a Players-Only Meeting after Marcus Smart Called Out His Teammates appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The absence of Marcus Smart from the Boston Celtics’ lineup is reportedly expected to continue over the next few weeks.

While making an appearance on NBA Countdown on Sunday, NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski revealed that Smart is still not near to returning to court and will remain on the sidelines at least through the All-Star break (March 5th to March 10th).

Smart suffered a Grade 1 calf strain in January against the Los Angeles Lakers. The injury came at a bad time for the 26-year-old guard as he was having a career season, averaging 13.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.

Without Smart, the Celtics’ season has taken a turn for the worst as the team obviously misses his leadership and elite defense. In 12 games without Smart, Boston compiled a 5-7 record while stumbling to No. 6 in the Eastern Conference.

Marcus Smart, who was the franchise’s No. 6 selection in 2014, has become an extremely valuable player for the Celtics in recent years. Despite not being a volume scorer, he affects the game in other ways, and the team often has trouble replacing him when he’s out.

Smart was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in consecutive years while also receiving an NBA Hustle Award in 2019.

The post Celtics’ Marcus Smart Won’t Return Before All-Star Break appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Things are not going well in Boston. The Celtics lost five out of their first seven games to start the 2021-22 NBA season, while there has been some friction in the locker room as well. This reportedly prompted a players-only meeting that took place ahead of the team’s clash against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the meeting included discussions about the Celtics’ bad form and recent fallout against the Chicago Bulls that saw them suffer a 128-114 loss despite leading 14 points to start the half. The players also touched on the subject of guard Marcus Smart’s comments about his teammates Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

After the Bulls game, Smart said that Brown and Tatum are being poor distributors and “don’t want to pass the ball.” He also urged them to “create for others on this team to open up the court for them later down in the game.”

It appears that the meeting, described as “emotional at times,” helped Boston at least in the short run. The Celtics bounced back with a 92-79 win against the Magic and improved their record to 3-5.

Speaking with reporters after the game, Jaylen Brown confirmed the Celtics had a players-only meeting but declined to talk further on the subject.

“Team meeting, just an opportunity to talk as a group, get some communication going in, and move forward,” Brown said.

The post Celtics Held a Players-Only Meeting after Marcus Smart Called Out His Teammates appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The absence of Marcus Smart from the Boston Celtics’ lineup is reportedly expected to continue over the next few weeks.

While making an appearance on NBA Countdown on Sunday, NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski revealed that Smart is still not near to returning to court and will remain on the sidelines at least through the All-Star break (March 5th to March 10th).

Smart suffered a Grade 1 calf strain in January against the Los Angeles Lakers. The injury came at a bad time for the 26-year-old guard as he was having a career season, averaging 13.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.

Without Smart, the Celtics’ season has taken a turn for the worst as the team obviously misses his leadership and elite defense. In 12 games without Smart, Boston compiled a 5-7 record while stumbling to No. 6 in the Eastern Conference.

Marcus Smart, who was the franchise’s No. 6 selection in 2014, has become an extremely valuable player for the Celtics in recent years. Despite not being a volume scorer, he affects the game in other ways, and the team often has trouble replacing him when he’s out.

Smart was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in consecutive years while also receiving an NBA Hustle Award in 2019.

The post Celtics’ Marcus Smart Won’t Return Before All-Star Break appeared first on SportzBonanza.