Celtics-Lakers Overreactions: This Kemba isn't going to cut it

The Boston Celtics battled to the very end vs. the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night, but they came up just short in the 96-95 thriller.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown did their part to keep the C's in it. The duo combined for 58 points with Tatum tallying 30 and Brown adding 28, further solidifying their status as one of the best young tandems in the NBA.

On the other side, Anthony Davis led L.A. with 27 points and LeBron James contributed 21.

Here are three instant overreactions to Boston's second-straight defeat, which brings its record to 10-8 on the campaign.

1. Time to hit the panic button on Kemba Walker.

There's no nice way to put it: Walker was horrible in this one. The Celtics guard went 1-for-12 (0-for-5 from 3 pt. range) and finished with a mere four points. That isn't going to cut it.

Walker had a chance to redeem himself in the game's final moments. He came up with a huge steal on Davis to set up a potential game-winner, but missed his 12th and final shot to seal the Lakers' win. 

If you enjoy torturing yourself: here's another look at the final seconds. #Celtics Rewind presented by @tmobile pic.twitter.com/vRYnjO0e09

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) January 31, 2021

For Celtics fans who were optimistic about the "Big Three" of Walker, Tatum and Brown being on the court at the same time, the last couple of games have been a huge bummer. Have no fear, though. Walker will figure it out, and things will get better.

Verdict: Overreaction

"We're riding Kemba. He's a really good player who really cares about his team."

Presented by https://t.co/Av8GdCAzPA pic.twitter.com/3CLUFXKQZN

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) January 31, 2021

2. Celtics free-agent signings have been a major disappointment.

That's an understatement, actually. Jeff Teague was brought onto the roster to provide a spark for the Celtics second unit. The result has been quite the opposite through the first quarter of the 2020-21 season.

Teague shot 2-for-6 (four points) in Saturday's loss. The veteran guard is shooting less than 32 percent on the year to this point. Rookie Payton Pritchard has turned out to be the far more productive guard off the bench, and his absence has been glaring each time Teague has been on the court. When Pritchard returns, he should take most of Teague's minutes.

And then there's Tristan Thompson. The former Cleveland Cavalier was added last offseason to address the Celtics' lack of a legitimate big man. He's had a few decent games to this point in the season, but like Teague, the results mostly just haven't been there. Thompson had only one point and five rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench Saturday night.

Both Teague and Thompson have to be better if the Celtics are to get anywhere.

Verdict: Not an overreaction

3. The C's can't afford to lose Marcus Smart for an extended period.

Smart went down with what looked to be a brutal calf injury in the fourth quarter of Saturday's game. The early diagnosis is a left calf strain, which sounds sort of optimistic, but it didn't look good at all.

This is one of the last things the Celtics want to see right about now. With Walker struggling, Teague and Thompson underperforming, and Boston needing a spark to surge back to the top of the Eastern Conference standings, Smart's presence is critical.

Smart reportedly will undergo an MRI on Sunday to determine the severity of the injury.

Verdict: Not an overreaction

Next up for the Celtics is a trip to Golden State to take on the Warriors. Tip-off is set for Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET.