These are your Boston Celtics

With ten video games left within the 2022-2023 common season, the Celtics are 49-32 and third within the East, share factors behind the 76ers and two and a half video games again of the Bucks with a recreation towards every to shut out the common season. There’s time and alternative to make up the distinction, however decide up a paper or go browsing to Twitter and also you’d suppose we have been re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic quite than jockeying for playoff place.

The “what’s fallacious with the Celtics” dialog is legitimate. The offense that rocketed them as much as historic heights to begin the season has expectedly fallen to earth. The protection that carried them final yr and been excellent this yr has cratered for the reason that Jays and Joe Mazzulla & Co. have been lighting up All-Star Weekend. They’ve been depressingly common in March with 2.0 internet score (115.9 offensive score, 113.9 defensive score) and as typically as they’ve appeared like one of the best model of themselves, they’ve additionally appeared like a strolling mind fart far too typically.

The excellent news is that they’ve misplaced 4 video games by a mixed 9 factors. Heartbreakers for certain, however contemplating the material of an 82-game season, they’re simply unfastened ends in an in any other case profitable yr. The unhealthy information is the way in which they’ve been shedding. Towards the Nets, a 28-point second quarter lead was relinquished by halfway via the third and so they by no means responded towards a Brooklyn workforce now with out Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. The Celtics had wrapped their arms round a win towards the Knicks in additional time solely to cough it up within the second OT. Boston had vital leads in Cleveland and Salt Lake Metropolis within the fourth quarter, however couldn’t shut it out within the clutch.

Head coach Joe Mazzulla has wavered between “I ought to have performed Derrick White extra” and “we didn’t execute,” between some model of “you need to lose to study to win” and crediting the opposing workforce. The powerful losses haven’t precisely galvanized the workforce and the fan base, and there is likely to be some lingering questions earlier than spring comes round — primarily, will the Celtics proceed to begin White and predominantly play small or will Robert Williams return to the beginning lineup — however women and gents, these are your Boston Celtics.

The commerce deadline has handed. President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens nonetheless has a fifteenth roster spot to fill earlier than the playoffs, but when final season is any indication, that may most probably be crammed by a G-League name up quite than some ring-chasing veteran. A lot handwringing has been product of who begins, who closes, and who performs in any respect. It doesn’t assist that gamers like Grant Williams and Payton Pritchard who performed massive roles in final yr’s Finals run have been out and in of the rotation.

There’ll all the time be second-guessing after a loss. Each Monday morning quarterback goes to decide on the highway untraveled in relation to what Mazzulla ought to have performed down the stretch and with the workforce only a recreation over .500 for the reason that break, some may even query not simply the sport plan, however the full season plan from the start.

Towards the Jazz, Jayson Tatum turned the primary participant this season to cross the 2000-point mark. It’s a worthy accomplishment for an MVP candidate, however that additionally signifies that he’s placed on lots of mileage on the odometer. Final yr, he clocked in at 2,731 minutes to shut 2021-2022 and was admittedly exhausted by the Finals after back-to-back seven-game collection towards the Bucks and Warmth. He has ticked over 2508 already, however together with yesterday’s day without work earlier than the Kings tomorrow evening, Boston performs only one recreation in six days earlier than a manageable two-game homestand this weekend. It’s as a lot a wanted bodily relaxation as it’s a psychological break after a 7-6 stretch for the reason that All-Star break.

Sure, there are going to be video games after they surrender a bunch of offensive rebounds. Six occasions this season together with Saturday evening on the second evening of a back-to-back in Utah with out Al Horford and Robert Williams, the Celtics gave up fifteen or extra offensive boards; they’re 2-4 in these video games. However let’s not overlook that Boston is one of the best defensive rebounding workforce within the league. That’s price repeating: Boston is one of the best defensive rebounding workforce within the league. They’ve performed small. They’ve performed huge. All yr, rebounding hasn’t been a difficulty.

Right here’s the subject du jour: the excessive variance with the three-point capturing might chew them within the a%& come playoff time. 9 occasions this yr, they’ve hit below 28% of their threes and loss 7 of 9 of these video games. And for what it’s price, that comes out to just about a recreation in a seven-game collection. So yeah, that might occur. Relying on how the subsequent few weeks shake out, it’s conceivable that the Celtics might begin the second spherical and past on the highway with the very actual prospect of taking part in Recreation 7 at Wells Fargo or Fiserv Discussion board. They could even throw away a recreation at residence if the edges at TD Backyard or the leprechaun that lives there doesn’t cooperate.

The very fact of the matter is, that is how the workforce is constructed and albeit, it’s trying increasingly just like the playoffs, notably within the East, are going to be a conflict of kinds. Even when they begin with two bigs, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo are matchup nightmares. If the final three weeks have made you squeamish about attempting to outshoot groups and depend on smaller defenders guarding up towards larger opponents, get used to it.

They shoot lots of threes. They’re going to change rather a lot on protection and self-inflict unfavorable matchups at occasions. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are going to make and miss a bunch of pictures. And within the playoffs when rotations shrink, their depth and flexibility will increase extra questions than solutions.

These are your Boston Celtics.