Playoff expectations are the Celtics’ enemy

The phrase “expectations” means various things for various individuals.

For Boston Celtics followers, it means Banner 18. The 64-win Celtics steamrolled by means of the common season, however none of that issues anymore. A championship was all the time the expectation for this group, and their historic run by means of 82 video games doesn’t change that.

However for the Celtics themselves, that’s not what it means.

For them, it means not letting vanity get in the way in which of an opportunity at a hoop. Expectations are the antithesis of all the pieces Boston desires to perform this postseason.

“Crucial factor heading right into a state of affairs is having no expectations,” Joe Mazzulla stated. “It’s not alleged to go a sure method. For those who examine groups which have even been lucky sufficient—if we’re lucky sufficient to even get to a Finals, if not win it—the highway there’s all the time forgotten by the results of successful. And so, it seems to be completely different each single 12 months.

“There are groups which have had a number of Sport 7s. There’s a workforce that’s solely misplaced one sport. There’s a workforce that’s needed to come [back] from down 3-2. Needed to go house for Sport 7. It simply doesn’t matter.”

Photograph by Adam Hagy/NBAE through Getty Photographs

Expectations result in a Trae Younger-led Atlanta Hawks squad successful two first-round video games towards a two-seeded Celtics desperate to get again to the NBA Finals.

Expectations result in Caleb Martin and the Miami Warmth placing the Celtics in a 3-0 gap to begin the convention finals.

Expectations result in an OG Anunoby miracle three-point basket spearheading a Toronto Raptors sequence comeback, forcing Boston right into a seven-game sequence.

Expectations result in the Milwaukee Bucks drowning the Kyrie Irving-led Celtics in Spherical 2 after a red-hot 5-0 begin to the postseason.

Expectations result in failure.

This 12 months’s Celtics workforce has taken a special strategy. Moderately than wanting forward and penciling in an anticipated outcome, they reside within the current. Every sport brings its personal challenges for them to overcome, however as soon as the competition is over, they transfer on.

Win or lose, the earlier sport strikes into the previous, and the following one—and solely the following one—enters their imaginative and prescient.

Photograph by Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald through Getty Photographs

Forward of their playoff run, the Celtics have been finding out the 2008 championship workforce.

“We regarded on the ‘08 workforce, we regarded on the 2010 Lakers that received the championship, and simply how each path is completely different,” said Jayson Tatum. “The ‘08 workforce went to 2 Sport 7s within the first and second spherical. So simply getting us ready. It’s not all the time going to go possibly how we anticipated or needed it to go. However we gotta be prepared for it.”

The 2008 Celtics didn’t win a highway sport within the first two sequence they performed. But they nonetheless managed to tug out victories by caring for enterprise at house.

For the previous few seasons, Boston hasn’t taken benefit of their home-court benefit. This common season, they modified their perspective in that regard. They solely misplaced 4 video games at TD Backyard all 12 months.

To followers, Mazzulla putting off the thought of expectations could come off because the acceptance of dropping. The willingness to acknowledge dropping as a risk doesn’t resonate with Boston followers, who solely anticipate one of the best. However it’s attainable. And ignoring it’s ignorant.

The Celtics can’t afford ignorance.

The one expectation they settle for is that they can not have any.

“I do know these issues can be utilized to create narratives, however on the finish of the day, there are not any expectations heading in,” Mazzulla stated. “It takes what it takes. Nevertheless lengthy it takes, that’s what we’ve got to have the ability to undergo. And we simply must have that expectation, is that it takes what it takes.”