The Basketball Gods giveth, the Basketball gods taketh away. At least that is the tale being told by ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith on a recent episode of “First Take,” regarding the Boston Celtics‘ odds of a 2023 NBA Finals appearance.
Smith seems to think the Celtics’ decision to suspend the team’s head coach in the 2022 NBA offseason set the ball club down a road that sees this season end for the Celtics without a return to the 2023 NBA Finals. For Smith, this imagined outcome will potentially occur as a result of their decision to punish Udoka for his improper relationship with a team staffer.
It is fair to raise questions about the ceiling of the team given the stress the scandal caused, the lack of experience of interim head coach Joe Mazzulla, and the injuries befalling the team’s frontcourt.
But is this a fair assessment of the team’s potential? Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear Smith’s case.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
