Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder call for passion after third straight loss


After giving away a game to the Atlanta Hawks last night in which they led for a majority of the time, the Celtics have now lost three straight. Coming off of a week in which they beat three quality teams and took the Golden State Warriors to the brink, I'm confident that nobody saw the C's coming out and losing three in a row.

Something has looked off with this group over the past week. They have turned the ball over too much and have not had the same defensive intensity that they have hung their hat on this season. As you might imagine, a few players, in particular Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder, are frustrated with how this team has been performing:





Crowder and Thomas are two of the more energetic players on the team, and I think what they are saying is right. The Celtics have been lackadaisical over the last three games and have gotten away from the things that have made them such a dangerous team. Over the last week, the C's have averaged just five steals per game and have not had the energy they normally have on defense. They typically cause chaos on that end of the floor, but recently they have been getting torched.

Without a superstar to carry them, this team needs to get back to playing with energy and passion. The Celtics need to play gritty defense and get out and run in order to be successful. We saw the best that we can be in the games against the Chicago Bulls and the Warriors last week, and we need to get back to that style of play. This team is not good enough to just show up and win games.

I'm glad that Thomas and Crowder stepped up and said something after the game. Hopefully this can jumpstart the C's and get them back on track with the constant intensity that they have had for much of the season. With two days off before taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, this team needs to refocus and get back to the basics; play great defense, knock down shots and love every second of it.

Photo Credit: Michael Dwyer/AP Photo
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