As two of this season’s most frustrating teams, the Celtics and Hawks have a couple things in common: 1) they need some kind of change but 2) aren’t sure how audacious it should be. Both entered 2022 with high hopes, confident they could improve upon what they accomplished last year while aspiring to snatch a top-four seed. On paper, their rosters were molded for a deep playoff run: talented and versatile, built to play fast or slow, big and small. In reality, every night has been a guessing game.
Boston is 18–21 with the NBA’s 22nd-best offense and a palpable tension that’s hard to quantify but easy to see.