Expectations drive narrative. Sometimes it’s fair, other times not, but this is the reality we face in every day life. Especially with sports, people can view an identical performance differently based on expectations.
Just take Jayson Tatum for example. Last year he had no expectations, so when he played well people lost their minds, rightfully so. This season, his stats are up across the board besides a slight dip in his shooting, but the reaction is much more subdued.
The 2018-19 Celtics had expectations that could rival the 2008 team. Every loss would be magnified compared to the wins, so when the team struggled like they continue to do, the reaction wasn’t pleasant.