Falling short yet again in their quest for banner 18, the Celtics were nearing a crossroads. In lieu of taking the well-traveled road with all core components in place, Boston veered. Four players who helped fuel success in 2022-23 were sent away, bringing fresh optimism (and a dose of caution) to the franchise.
Consider the results an A+ return so far in 2023-24.
At the All-Star break, the Boston Celtics have gone above expectations (well, mine at least). Major concerns of chemistry and certain players staying healthy have (mostly) been tempered, with Boston holding a league-best record of 43-12, including a highly efficient 26-3 record at home.
Boston Celtics: High rollers
The Celtics have won six straight games and eight of their last nine. The exclamation point prior to the All-Star break was a 50-point victory over the Brooklyn Nets; Boston's second such margin of victory this season. And the decisiveness is certainly no fluke, with the Celtics averaging 120.7 points per game (5th in the league) and holding opponents to 110.6 (also 5th).
This recent stretch of winning has given the Celtics breathing room for best record in the NBA, four games ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves. In the Eastern Conference, the lead is six over the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston is up 10 games over the New York Knicks in the Atlantic Division.
Top contenders in the East are struggling, whether it's injuries, inconsistency, or both. Joel Embiid, the NBA's leading scorer, is on the shelf with a knee injury for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Milwaukee Bucks fired one head coach, hired Doc Rivers, and are 3-7 in their last 10 games (though they do own a win over the Denver Nuggets in that stretch). And the Miami Heat have been playing without Jimmy Butler, with the Celtics recently sweeping the season series (taking only the smallest sting from last season's Eastern Conference affair).
Through it all, Boston has deployed one of the best starting lineups in the league, with a bench coming into their own.
Individual efforts
Head coach Joe Mazzulla has done a terrific job in balancing night's off for the regular starting lineup. Surprisingly, these starters have only appeared together in roughly 50 percent of the team's games this season. Rest has done them good, with leading scorer Jayson Tatum playing the most games of the bunch, at 52.
All five average double figures in scoring and each is capable of notching a triple-double any given night. Tatum is topping the list, averaging 27.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. In seven February games, he is averaging 28.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 6.9 assists (including a 41-point, 14-rebound effort against Brooklyn in 118-110 victory).
Surprisingly, Tatum is not mentioned nearly enough as a top-3 MVP candidate. His scoring is down but what Tatum does across the board is why he should be a favorite. He has elevated his game this season and overall is making smarter decisions. Tatum is also placing more trust in his teammates.
Fellow All-Star Jaylen Brown is averaging 22 points per game, which is also down from a season ago. But Brown's three-point shooting is slightly better and he's improved in the ball handling department, with turnovers down, too.
Derrick White and Jrue Holiday are combining for 28.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 9.5 assists. Holiday is shooting 44 percent from three and both employ defense tenacity. Especially White, who averages 1.2 blocked shots and one steal per game.
The real x-factor in this group of five is Kristaps Porzingis. Minor ailments have shelved Porzingis at times, as has rest, leading to only 40 games played. Still, I like the plan with Porzingis and he should be on rate to play about 60 regular season games, keeping him in prime condition for the playoffs.
Porzingis is a shooting threat that has helped space the floor for the Celtics. And with these five, it gives Boston multiple options in finding the opponents weak spot. Porzingis is averaging 20.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per game and shooting 36.8 percent from three-point range. In his six February games, Porzingis has been even better, averaging 24.7 points and shooting 57.6 percent from the field.
It's been the play of the bench that's also upped Boston's effectiveness. Sam Hauser, Al Horford, Luke Kornet, and Payton Pritchard form the core. Pritchard, especially, has been special. He's the only Celtic to play in every game and is scoring a career-high 8.1 points per game.
Fill-ins, like Neemias Queta, Oshae Brissett, and Svi Mykhailiuk, have also found ways to contribute when called upon.
Upcoming games
Boston takes to the road right out of the gate, starting with the Chicago Bulls (26-29) on February 22. One previous meeting this season found the Celtics with a 124-97 victory. Brown had 30 points, 8 rebounds, and six assists that game, with the Celtics dishing out 36 assists.
The Bulls currently hold the ninth seed in the East.
On Saturday (2/24), Boston takes on the Knicks (33-22). The Celtics are 3-0 against New York this season, with the average margin of victory ten points. Boston opened the season with a 108-104 road victory over New York and Tatum is averaging 31 points against the Knicks this season.
It's been a well-rounded effort in '23-24 for Boston. They take too many threes for my liking but at least this season they've had better shot selection within the flow of the game. In previous years, success and failure was predicated on their use of the three-pointer. This season's team has found ways to overcome bad shooting nights and that's made a huge difference. The Boston Celtics remain Tatum's and Brown's team, but the group has improved around them. And if this trend continues the final quarter of the season, this team will be poised for business of making the postseason a successful one.
photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
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