Bob Cousy has sharp criticism of Celtics

The Boston Celtics are hearing it from a franchise great who played seven decades earlier.

Celtics Hall of Famer Bob Cousy spoke this week with Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe and was critical of the team’s play this season.

“There’s something wrong,” said Cousy. “It’s just schoolyard. Run up and down and take the first shot that shows. There doesn’t seem to be intelligent direction. I think a stabilizing piece is missing. They usually [expletive] it up in the fourth quarter when you need to be paying attention to business.

“I hate to bring it back to a point guard but … you don’t have that control,” Cousy added. “When we got a lead of six to eight points, that was when I would take it home. I just would not allow us to lose the lead. … They should be a lot better than they are. It doesn’t look like we’re going to be hanging banner No. 18 any time soon.”

Cousy offered plenty of other thoughts on Celtics such as Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart in his interview with Shaughnessy. You can read it in full here.

Cousy, 93, was the first truly great Celtic, debuting several years before even Bill Russell did. He won six titles in Boston, earned MVP honors in 1957 and led the league in assists eight times.

Even though the Celtics won on Saturday, they are still just 19-21 on the season, which is tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference. Even their own players would probably agree with Cousy’s assessment here.