Ime Udoka didn't mince words after the Boston Celtics' loss to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.
The C's new head coach called out his players for lacking focus during the morning shootaround and carrying that energy into the game.
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"I told them they were gonna get their asses kicked tonight if you come with that focus in the game and for three quarters, we played the same way," Udoka said. "We waited to get down 15 and started to play with the effort we had in the other four games."
Those comments came out of left field for those who have listened to Celtics press conferences over the last several years. Former head coach Brad Stevens took a more mild-mannered approach to the podium after losses, but Udoka appears to be a straight shooter.
"I like it," Stadium's Jeff Goodman said Thursday on Early Edition. "I do like it because it's a complete 180 from Brad Stevens. Brad never would've said that in a million years and I think this team does need a different type of coaching mentality right now, and I think Udoka can give them that."
While Udoka's attitude is a breath of fresh air, Goodman believes the Celtics still need to add a veteran player with an edge in order to straighten out the issues that have plagued them.
"Ultimately, if you don't have that guy in the locker room -- like, you brought in Al Horford, and he's been before. That's not Al, and that's not Al's personality," Goodman added. "Schroder and Richardson, they're not ready for that. They're new, they're probably not long for here, they're just trying to fit in and fill a role at this point.
"Well we've seen it with Jayson and Jaylen, they're not leaders yet. They needed to bring in, and I think this is an area that Brad should've realized and added, you need to bring in somebody in the locker room or even on the court that can give them that spark and give them that toughness and that edge."
Boston does have a player that fits that description in Marcus Smart. Still, there's no doubt adding another outspoken veteran to the mix would benefit a team largely made up of young talent.
The Celtics will need to play with more of a sense of urgency if they hope to get revenge on Washington in Saturday night's rematch. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. ET at Capital One Arena.
Hear everything Goodman had to say in the video above.
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Jeff Goodman: Celtics need to bring in some veteran toughness - NBC Sports Boston
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