Paul Pierce: Celtics “have no identity”
After the Celtics third-straight loss, a 100-89 bout against the Chicago Bulls, Paul Pierce more or less admitted that the team has next to no self confidence. The team is 4-6 in its last 10 games and are struggling to retain relevancy in the NBA this season.
“We’re not sustaining defensive effort for four quarters, getting outworked, it’s pretty much every night. Right now we have no identity. I mean, that’s just simple and plain. We’re supposed to be a defensive team, [but] we give up a hundred points every night,” said Pierce.
And he’s right. It was the third night in a row that they allowed 100 or more points and the Celtics have a 12-12 record. That keeps them solidly in the middle of the Atlantic Conference behind the Knicks and the Nets. The way they’re playing right now is just mediocre, and it’s not what the fans or the players expect out of a team like the Celtics.
Pierce also touched on that, saying, “we’re still searching trying to find out who we want to be for this season.”
Head coach Doc Rivers added to the negative comments, saying that they’ll remain a middle-of-the-pack team because that’s what they’re playing like.
“This team is not a good team right now,” said Rivers. “It’s who we are right now. I’ve been saying that. This is who we are right now. We’re a .500 team.”
