Brad Stevens gives Celtics a deserved wakeup call

Brad Stevens chooses his words carefully as a head coach. He doesn’t tend to get too high or too low over the course of the season in press conferences, choosing a very measured approach when assessing the big picture.

That mentality has served the 41-year-old well during his six years at the helm of the Celtics. Stevens doesn’t call out his team much, but when he does, it carries some extra weight. While outsiders may peg Tuesday’s 102-95 loss to the Cavaliers as a preseason dud that isn’t worth getting worked up about, Stevens painted a far different picture in his postgame press conference.

“I couldn’t be more unimpressed after our first three exhibition games,” Stevens declared.

The focus then turned to Tuesday night again. Boston's defensive woes were particularly glaring after the regulars allowed 59 points to a LeBron James-less Cavs team that is a borderline playoff team in the East.

“Pretty much everything,” Stevens said when asked to pinpoint the defensive issues. “I mean, we got a lot of work to do. It’s pretty clear. ... We’re not as good as advertised right now, so at least we know that.”

Wakeup calls generally aren’t used in the preseason but it was welcomed with open arms by one member of the organization.

After being informed Stevens had lit into the team at the press conference down the hall, one staffer replied with a smile, “Good. He just did the same thing in the locker room.”

How exactly was Stevens’ message received in the locker room?

“It’s fair words,” Jaylen Brown admitted. “It’s early though. I mean, let’s not overreact. I mean it’s a fair assessment from Brad, but at the same time let’s not jump ship. Let’s just continue the course. It’s preseason.

"With expectations comes reality. We’ve got to perform to the level of the expectations we’ve received. Through the first three games, we haven’t. But we’re still trying to figure stuff out. We’ve got to find a rhythm. Our chemistry with that first unit — there’s a lot of talent on that first unit and nobody wants to step on each other’s toes. But at the same time, we’re not helping each other execute. I think we’ll figure it out. I have no doubt in my mind that we’ll figure it out. I think we just need to take a deep breath, and smile, and continue to get better each and every game.”

Marcus Morris also pegged his panic meter on the low side after the defeat.

“I don't see it,” Morris said of his concern level. “It's preseason. I mean, we have a lot to look forward to this year so I can understand his concerns. At the same time, preseason is for learning and things like that. I think we'll get back on the right page.”

While it’s easy to point to the meaninglessness of the preseason as a reason for the C’s woes, it’s hard to ignore the lack of consistency the C’s have produced with their top units on both ends of the floor.

Defense has been the biggest trouble spot so far, and Tuesday marked the ugliest performance so far as the Cavs raced out to a 59-40 halftime lead. The Celtics have allowed 59 or more first-half points in all three games thus far and opponents are shooting an average of 37.7 free throws per game. Those are disturbing numbers in any forum for what was the best defensive team in the league last season.

The troubles stem from a lot of separate areas thus far. Gordon Hayward has understandably been a step slow and an overall liability as he shakes the rust off. The team’s small-ball starting five unit has also made the defense more vulnerable inside with no true rim protector to cover up for mistakes around the rim. The Hornets and Cavs are mediocre offenses at best and they have had their way with Boston’s defense for the better part of the first 12 quarters of the preseason.

“I thought we looked like a sieve defensively,” Stevens said Tuesday night of the small ball unit. “The difference with Baynes and Robert Williams in the game was noticeable, and Theis at the rim. We have to take that into consideration going forward.”

While Kyrie Irving did not suit up on Tuesday night, the offense continues to be an early issue as well for the regulars. The C’s are shooting just 40 percent as a team through three games and 24.8 percent from 3-point range. There have been some spurts of good offense at points over the past week but they have been outweighed by questionable shot selection and a lack of ball movement and chemistry as a whole.

“We have a lot of guys that do the same thing,” Brown admitted when asked about the offensive woes. “Me and Jayson and Hayward all are very similar in what we do in that first unit and we have to find a better chemistry and rhythm to help each other excel. I think the key for us, not just the preseason, but for the year, is to find that rhythm and that chemistry.”

With two weeks remaining until the regular season opener, Stevens has plenty of time left to work out the kinks, but the sense of urgency will surely be kicked up a notch after Tuesday night, especially with just one preseason tuneup remaining (a rematch with Cleveland on Saturday night). While the Celtics veterans may be easing their way in, Stevens put everyone on alert that playtime is over. Expect a hungrier looking team on Saturday, otherwise bigger changes might be coming ahead of opening night.

“We’re the favorites in the East,” Morris said. “We need to show that. We need to show competitive nature, we need to show togetherness, we need to show hustle. … Guys are watching. I don’t care if it’s preseason or not, everyone’s watching and expecting to see us playing well. As a unit, we need to.”