To cap a rough night for the Cs, there is footage of Marcus Smart appearing to stick his middle finger up at a fan: https://t.co/5vujR3xuEg April 19, 2017

Smart kinda becoming one of those players whose shooting issues are way bigger in playoff environment than reg season. https://t.co/5UtWnN051H April 19, 2017

Classic Jim Calhoun move that half by Ollie. 2 fouls in first half = bench. — Adam Finkelstein (@AdamFinkelstein) April 8, 2014

Three white shirts around Lopez and he still grabs the offensive board — Tim MacLean (@MacleanNBA) April 19, 2017

Al Horford coming out a lot more aggressive on the offensive end to begin the first half. We’ll see if the Celtics continue to go to him. — Tim MacLean (@MacleanNBA) April 19, 2017

Isaiah Thomas is ripping into Marcus Smart right now... — Marc D'Amico (@Marc_DAmico) April 19, 2017

Bulls just pouring it on, attacking the rim relentlessly. Boston's offense? Early in the shot clock three's. — Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixYS) April 19, 2017

hasand the results have never been good.This is no exception, though it's miles ahead of how the most infamous instance of his losing his cool ended up playing out. But, last night,. The incident, which began with a fan harassing Marcus for his shot selection after missing a trey from a spot on the floor he's historically terrible from this season, ended with Smart displaying a certain digit usually offered to persons one considers especially moronic or inconsiderate. While Smart might have been aware his overall shooting percentage last night was not badand perhaps a short memory convinced him his two-year drought as a terrible three-point shooter was over (), but if reports are true regarding the reason by the exchange...the criticism was warranted, if perhaps poorly framed.Do I think Marcus needs to be fined? Suspended, in light of where his frustrations once took him and might threaten to again?First of all, if flipping the bird is too much for the delicate eyes offandom, I'll just point out that, and while it was by no means a jovial exchange, it is merely one of thousands which take place between players and spectators that just happens to have been captured on camera. I don't think any disciplinary action needs to happen at all for the incident in question, honestly...You see, the Celts seem to have lost their way as a franchise, and there are () three kinds of leaders on a team. Sometimes, a single person can embody multiple leadership roles at one time, but, generally speaking,(typically, in the postseason)It's become pretty clear that for all the accolades he rightfully recieves for tactical brilliance and his ability to relate to his players,has shown one glaring flaw to date:. It's not just Marcus I am talking about here - it's, andI am talking about, hoisting shots five to ten seconds into the clock, not boxing out, looking lifeless off-ball, and so on. Strangely, Stevens seems to be fine benchingfor missing defensive assignments (), but for whatever reason, that philosophy doesn't seem to apply for most other players. Live by the three, die by the three - especially when it's a rushed, off-the dribble heave with a hand in your face from three feet beyond the arc seven seconds into a possession.The short hook has done the best coaches wonders in disciplining their teams, at all levels.has always been happy to bench the best of his players for short stretches - even at crucial moments ( like the time he benched THE ENTIRE STARTING UNIT in the Western Conference Finals ); ask, or, orIt's not acceptable to allow sloppy play to live on the court, and better to haveandmake the same mistakes while increasing their development than to field a player -- who have succumbed to hero-ball and uninspired or lazy performances, and it's Stevens' responsibility to ensuremakes it happen if the players will not (). But let's not forget those other two kinds of leadership; having your primary scoring option serve as your veteran leader is a double-edged sword. When it clicks, great! It's a seamless construct, especially if that person is your primary distributor. But when things go wrong -- if no one is willing or able to step into that role, you're dead in the water.We were dead in the water.has the pedigree if perhaps not the temperament to step into that role, and while it's clear he's been trying to assume that mantle, transforming your role from elite facilitator and defender to scorer is not a thing that usually happens overnight (), particularly when a good part of your game plan is not built to reflect this. We DID see good results from Horford when he stepped confidently into the role of facilitator, which is the most we can hope for on such short notice realistically -. But with tactical leadership available while Isaiah sorts out the heartbreak he's still dealing with,unless at least one of these issues is resolved.All of this makes sense,. Stevens perhaps is unwilling to antagonize an already difficult situation, making his hook longer than even usual, which is much, much too long. Thomas is devastated, yet still showing up for work in which literally anyone, even the most wealthy, well-compensated billionaires would take off for, with impressive results given the context. But this team is now rudderless in a gnashing sea of hungry Bulls, and needs to find its way throughleadership. Perhaps the team should travel with Isaiah to Washington to get some closure. Perhaps not. I don't know better than any of you what will get this team back on track emotionally, just what has worked historically when a lack of leadership has impacted winning.I don't pretend this is easy, or that anyone should be angry with Brad. This is about as hard of a situation as anyone can find themselves in in sports, from top to bottom. All I can ask for is to show some resolve - to bench (or be benched) when emotions short-circuit common sense, some patience with each otherthe fanbase (andthe fanbase -), and, if you can muster it, some fire on the floor - in the paint, on the block, in transition, on defense. Theare in every way an inferior team,they have veteran, tactical and dare I say - at least over these two games - coaching leadership far above and beyond that of the Celtics, and it's getting them results.. Let's try and swallow our pride and find ways to remind each other of what really matters - each other.For more stories about Marcus Smart on CelticsLife,. For more stories by Justin,Image via SI.comData via basketball-reference.comFollow Justin at