SAD NEWS: SO DISAPPOINTING AS BOSTON CELTICS COACH EVENTUALLY DREW BACK.

Celtics’ Bench Performs Poorly, Pressuring Stars
The Boston Celtics are still having trouble coming off the bench, and they talk about this season’s performance thus far on the Bleav in Celtics podcast.

Boston Celtics reporter Gary Washburn stated on the Bleav in Celtics podcast that he would grade the team’s bench a C- this season. “I thought this team would have a better bench, but there are teams with more specialized players that are much deeper.” Washburn remarked, “I assumed it would be a B to B- bench.

Sam Hauser and Al Horford are mentioned by Washburn in the episode as the only standout players in this year’s bench rotation. He claims that because of his home-road splits, Payton Pritchard has been a worry. Pritchard only averages 4 points per game on 26.2 percent shooting away from the field, but he averages 8.5 points per game on 49.2 percent shooting at home.

You can’t have him being good at home and poor elsewhere, as Washburn put it. “Payton’s three-point shooting percentage cannot be 40 percent at home and 20 percent away.”

With a 10-0 record at the TD Garden, the Celtics lead the Eastern Conference and, according to Bet Online, are an 11-point favorite against the Cavaliers on Tuesday. Boston will want to have everything resolved before the playoffs, but they have plenty of time to address their bench issues. Going into the postseason, they must have a strong eight-man rotation at the very least. If they can’t finalize the bench by the deadline, they might have to make a trade.

He is good at home, and he is poor away, and you can’t have that,” said Washburn. “You can’t have Payton shooting 40 percent from three at home and 20 percent from three on the road.”

The Celtics are in first place in the Eastern Conference thanks to a 10-0 record at the TD Garden and are an 11-point favorite against the Cavaliers on Tuesday according to Bet Online. Boston has plenty of time to turn their bench woes around, but they will want to get everything ironed out before the playoffs. It is essential to have at least a solid eight-man rotation going into the postseason, and they may need to swing a trade to solidify the bench before the deadline.