Ted's biggest Celtics concern

The WEEI Afternoons team dives into the Boston Celtics' surprising home loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 2 of their playoff series, highlighting a troubling regression to old habits. Christian Arcand and Ted Johnson express deep concern over the Celtics' inability to adjust their offense after a dominant Game 1 win, particularly their overreliance on inefficient three-point shooting and failure to attack the rim. They critique the team’s stagnant play, poor defensive rotations, and lack of contributions from role players like Derek White, Peyton Pritchard, and Sam Hauser. The standout performances of rookie Tyrese Maxey and Vijay Edgecombe—both playing at an elite level in their playoff debuts—underscore the Celtics’ shortcomings. The hosts also voice growing unease about head coach Joe Mazzullo’s in-game execution, especially in crunch time and out-of-bounds situations. While they don’t fear a series loss, they warn of a potential repeat of past early exits, especially if Joel Embiid returns and Paul George steps up. The episode ends with speculation about potential roster changes and the long-term viability of the Tatum-Brown core if the team fails to advance beyond the first round.