Are the Celtics Worse Than We Thought?

Let's be honest. The Celtics haven't looked great so far this season.

I know I know, it's only four games. The season just started and naturally any reaction is an overreaction, but the C's haven't looked in sync so far.

The Celtics knocked out the 76ers in game one of the season. While they won comfortably, they didn't look like they were firing on all cylinders. Kyrie couldn't throw a grape in the ocean on opening night, and offensively the team looked rough overall.

It hasn't been much better since. For a team with so many offensive weapons, they just can't seem to find their roles. Could it be the return of Gordon Hayward? Are the starters a little unsure of their roles now that G is on the floor with them again? Is it the rise of Jayson Tatum? Could the need for getting Tatum his shots be causing a bit of confusion amongst the starters?

Defensively, they've been strong. We expect them to be strong defensively, though. A question heading into the year was their offense. It's clear they don't have the offensive weapons that the Warriors do, but in the same breath I can say the Warriors don't have the same defensive prowess that the Celtics do.

Should we be worried? No. Should we start to rethink the Celtics ability to come out of the East? Maybe. I'm confident the Celtics will figure it out. I think in a month or so, they'll fall into some more defined roles and thus improve offensively.

The thing that has changed for me as to their status in the East has nothing to do with the Celtics. It all has to do with Toronto. They look much better than I expected. Kawhi has been showing exactly why he's a top player in this league. I can only hope that Kyrie can shake off some of that rust and match him and keep the Celtics a step above.