Ime Udoka didn’t mince words when talking about the Boston Celtics lack of intensity and focus during their loss against the Washington Wizards. Udoka said the problems started at shootaround early on Wednesday morning.
The first-year head coach said, “Our intensity and focus wasn’t there from the start. It was like that at shootaround and I got on the guys for it then. And then it carried over into the game.”
“I told the guys this morning if they play tonight with this intensity and focus, they’d get their asses kicked. And for three quarters that’s what happened”, Udoka added.
A visibly disappointed Al Horford echoed his coach’s sentiments postgame. The veteran big man said, “We need to be committed to preparing and working before the games. We have to be better at that.”
As for the cause of the effort and intensity issues, Udoka, Horford, Dennis Schroder and Jayson Tatum didn’t have any answers. All recognized that it needs to change if Boston is to reach their potential.
