WATCH two games of the NBA 2021-22 regular season each week LIVE on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand - Miami Heat take on Boston Celtics in our next game on November 5 (10:30am - 1:00pm AEDT). Find all the details of the .
Boston dropped to 2-5 for the season on Tuesday after going down to the Bulls despite holding a 19-point lead early in the second half, with Smart taking aim at his high profile colleagues as the cause for the Celtics' struggles.
"Every team knows we're trying to go to Jayson and Jaylen," Smart said
"Every team is programmed and studied to stop Jayson and Jaylen. I think everybody's scouting report is to make those guys pass the ball. They don't want to pass the ball."
Brown and Tatum declined interview requests after the game, according to multiple media reports. Both of them had three assists in the game while Smart had none.
Brown led Boston with 28 points on the night, hitting 10 of 18 shots from the floor. Tatum contributed 20 points on 8-of-22 shooting. Smart made 5 of 11 shots and scored 16 points.
"They're still learning," Smart said of his teammates.
"We're proud of the progress they're making, but they're going to have to make another step and find ways to not only create for themselves but create for others on this team to open up the court for them later down in the game.
"It's something we've been asking them to do and they're learning. We just gotta continue to help those guys do that to help our team."
The stats this season back up Smart’s claim, with Tatum and Brown ranking among the lowest assist-makers per game of players who average more than 20 shots.
It is just the latest problem for new coach Ime Udoka, who has been unable to rediscover the form which had the Celtics at the top of the Eastern Conference only two seasons ago.
Defensively Boston has struggled, conceding an average of 119 points per game.
This weekend they take on two of the league's top scorers in Miami and Dallas and will need to find a way to make a stop or two if they stand a chance of turning their recent form around.
Fixing the building tension in the locker room might just be the first step.
