Fansided

5 biggest disappointments of the 2018-19 NBA season

By Bryan Toporek

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 2: Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) talks with Bradley Beal (3) during action against the Atlanta Hawks at Capital One Arena. (Photo by Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 2: Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) talks with Bradley Beal (3) during action against the Atlanta Hawks at Capital One Arena. (Photo by Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post via Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – MAY 7: Boston Celtics (left to right) Marcus Morris, Al Horford, Terry Rozier III, Aron Baynes and Marcus Smart watch the final seconds tick down. The Boston Celtics visited the Philadelphia 76ers for Game Four of their NBA Eastern Conference Semi Final Playoff series at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA on May 07, 2018. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – MAY 7: Boston Celtics (left to right) Marcus Morris, Al Horford, Terry Rozier III, Aron Baynes and Marcus Smart watch the final seconds tick down. The Boston Celtics visited the Philadelphia 76ers for Game Four of their NBA Eastern Conference Semi Final Playoff series at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA on May 07, 2018. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /

3. The Boston Celtics’ constant turmoil

The Boston Celtics entered the 2018-19 season with an over/under of 58.5, according to OddsShark, second only to the Golden State Warriors (63.5).

Those who bet the under clinched by the end of February, in no small part due to the Celtics’ never-ending turmoil.

Following a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in mid-February, Celtics forward Marcus Morris lit into his teammates.

“I mean, for me, it’s not really about the loss,” Morris told reporters. “It’s about the attitude that we’re playing with. Guys are hanging their head. It’s just not fun, it’s not fun. We’re not competing at a high level. Even when we’re winning, it’s still not fun. I just don’t see the joy in the game.”

Following a blowout loss to the Toronto Raptors two weeks later, Celtics guard Marcus Smart said the team was “just not together.”

The Celtics seemed to right the ship following a cross-country flight in early March, but dispiriting losses to the Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers soon thereafter again raised questions about which version of this team to expect on any given night. Coughing up an 18-point fourth-quarter lead against the Charlotte Hornets in mid-March didn’t help, either.

Boston has the talent to go on a deep playoff run, which would render this up-and-down regular season an afterthought. But if turmoil engulfs the locker room following an early-series deficit, it could spell the end for this Celtics core.

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