Could a little adversity be a good thing for the Celtics?

Nobody enjoys losing, especially not the defending NBA champions. Boston is firmly in the middle of a rough stretch — highlighted by losses in 3 out of 4 — but it’s possible this might be a good thing.

The regular season is a long road that brings you back to the playoffs, or to a spot in the NBA Draft Lottery. After winning a title, it’s understandable that the team’s energy levels aren’t at a constant 10 for all 82 games. When you’ve accomplished the greatest achievement the NBA has to offer, finding the extra gear for December basketball may not come as easily.

Call it boredom, or a lack of engagement. Either way, Boston could use a kick-start. There’s some irony to it, but these recent loses could prove useful. Mazzulla has made it clear that he sees value in adversity, and his players have echoed that sentiment.

This quote from Jaylen Brown came after the Celtics crushed the Knicks on Opening Night. Those moments he spoke of though, they have arrived. In the month of December, Boston is shooting 34% from 3 while their opponents are at 37%. Those numbers are nearly a complete 180 compared to the 19 games prior.

It’s clear that as a unit they aren’t playing up to their standards, but they have prepared themselves as well as any team to turn that into motivation. Mazzulla was interviewed during his first year as head coach, and shared a belief about the mentality of elite teams.

“All great teams, they figure out why they’re great, they stay there longer than other teams and when they’re not there, they get back to it quick.” Mazzulla said. Boston has arrived at stage 3, and it’s time to get back to greatness.

With as much winning as the Celtics have done, there isn’t always exposure to tests and hardships. Now that opponents have started walking into the Garden and outplaying them, something has to change. Shot making is paramount, but they can focus on things within their control like effort, defensive connectivity and communication.

There is a difficult schedule on the horizon, with the Celtics visiting the Wolves, Rockets, Thunder and Nuggets to open up the new year. Their record coming home from that gauntlet will say a lot about how well they responded to adversity.

To get themselves back on track, it’s important to wrap up December on a high note. The Pacers have always been a difficult matchup, so seeing them twice in three nights could be the perfect tune-up.

Most of us — with the players included — haven’t been thrilled by this stretch of basketball. That’s not from a place of concern, but disappointment in the team playing below their standards for this long. Mazzulla however, might just be enjoying it a little bit.

If the team’s thoughts are any indication, they’ll bust out of the slump with a big performance shortly. If that’s the case, this rough patch won’t be remembered as anything more than fuel for another deep playoff run.