Isaiah Thomas says Celtics are 'not as good as we thought we were'

Isaiah Thomas is not happy with Boston's performance so far this season

With the addition of Al Horford, the Boston Celtics were expected to take another leap this season and become one of the elite teams in the East. However, through their first six games, the Celtics have looked nothing like elite and currently have a record of 3-3.

This season just started of course so the Celtics have plenty of time to turn things around. But Celtics All-Star Isaiah Thomas offered up a disheartening assessment about the team and its defensive effort after Boston lost to the Denver Nuggets at home Sunday.

From ESPN's Chris Forsberg:

"We're not as good as we thought we were," said Celtics All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas, a black hoodie drawn tight over his head as he tried to explain the latest defensive dud. "When we don't come out with a sense of urgency, we're not a good team, and that's what happened tonight."

But what about those aspirations of being a top defense?

"At this point, we're all talk," Thomas said. "That's all we're doing. So until we put it together in a full 48-minute game and show what we can do at that end, we're not gonna be a top defensive team."

Again, Thomas made these comments after a loss, so he likely wasn't in the happiest of moods. But he does have a point about Boston's defense not putting forth any effort.

Boston is currently 29th in defensive rating and is giving up 110.2 per 100 possessions. Only the New York Knicks have a worse defensive rating than the Celtics. This is a dramatic departure from last season when the Celtics were one of the best defensive teams in the league and finished fourth in defensive rating.

Injuries likely have played a part in Boston's struggles on the defensive end. Horford has missed a few games after suffering a concussion. Jae Crowder is out for several more days with a sprained ankle. And Kelly Olynyk remains out due to a shoulder injury. Avery Bradley is also playing through a shoulder injury and Marcus Smart recently returned after missing the start of a season due to a sprained ankle. So perhaps Boston's defensive issues will be resolved when the Celtics are back to full strength.

The season is still young and the Celtics have time to work out their issues. But if their defensive struggles continue into December and January, Boston's aspirations to be at the top of the East will likely not bbe realized.