The Boston Celtics are stuck in a long tide of cold and need to do something to get out of it.
Before Wednesday night against the Atlanta Hawks, the team had recorded a record 7-13 in its previous 20 games. They dropped below 0.500 for the first time since the first five games of the season during the streak and everyone everywhere is looking for ways for the team to solve their problems.
On Celtics Pregame Live, former Celtics Kendrick Perkins and Brian Scalabrine offered their views on what Boston needs to do to straighten the ship.
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Perkins, for example, wants to see Brad Stevens light a little more fire on the floor. He also left a specific message for the Celtics coach.
“You need to start putting the guys in their shoes, holding them accountable,” said Perkins. “I understand. It’s not in Brad’s behavior, but it’s also not in Ty Lue’s behavior. But I saw him pick up guys and meet guys on the half court and complain at certain times when necessary.
“You have to hold the guys accountable. And if that means getting out of your comfort zone, then that’s it. You have to do whatever it takes to get the best out of each player.”
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Scalabrine had a slightly different view than Perkins. He was less focused on Stevens and more on the player’s side of the coin.
“I think it’s about individual players stepping up and being competitive,” said Scalabrine. “There is a certain strategy to being a head coach. I think the players have to be competitive. I think players have to do certain things to win games.
“It’s not just about getting buckets and statistics. Winning is more than that.”
One way or another, the Celtics will have to work in some way to break their recent skid. Whether it’s Stevens bringing more fire or players taking responsibility, they need to find that out soon.
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Otherwise, they will continue to fall further in the ranking at the packed Eastern Conference.