Boston Celtics: Time to Lock It Up and Lock It In
The post all-star break Jekyll and Hyde show that is the Boston Celtics look to keep consistency flowing in two weekend road games without their star.
Visions of the number one seed in the Eastern Conference might be on their minds, but the Boston Celtics need to remember the teams creeping in their rear view. Finding consistency–notably from a few bench players–will go a long way for Boston in locking down the second seed.
And they’ll have to do it this weekend without their star.
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Guard Isaiah Thomas, in what is being a called a right knee bruise, will not travel with the team for this weekend’s road games.
While the rest is likely more precautionary than anything, the rest will do Thomas so good. For a player who will be depended on heavily down the stretch and into the playoffs, a few days off will make him all the more better.
The good news? The Celtics face off against the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers. Though on the road, Boston is a combined 5-0 against these two teams this season. Philadelphia has given Boston the more exciting games, as their three match-ups have been decided by a total of 13 points.
Team Defense on the Rise
Looking at the win-loss column, Boston is 6-5 since the all-star break. The play, at times, has been disheartening to look at it. One thing that has been impressive–especially in the wins–is the rise of their defense.
In the six victories, the Celtics have held their opponents under 100 five times. This included a road victory at Golden State in which Boston allowed 86 points.
The perimeter defense of Boston–when completely healthy–is one of the best of the league. The better play of the their defense has coincided with the return of Avery Bradley.
Bradley, his scoring and rebounding were desperately missed, has also helped the Celtics amp up their defensive energy. Combined with Marcus Smart and Jae Crowder, this trio helps form a perimeter defense to be reckoned with.
Contributions from a Consistent Bench
Smart, who has been alternating between the bench and the starting lineup, is the leader of this group.
And Jaylen Brown continues to be a rising star, as his play over the past two months is a major reason the Celtics are where they are.
It’s Kelly Olynyk who needs to step up to be a consistent part of the rotation. The way he bounces between 20-point games and five point games is beyond frustrating.
Olynyk has made strides in regards to his defense and rebounding this season. It’s not at a level you’d expect from a first-round pick but he’s improving. He’s still struggles to find a consistency from game to game.
Do the Boston Celtics need him to drop 20 off the bench every night? No. It’d be nice, but for him to contribute 12-15 off the bench would alleviate some of the fourth quarter pressure put on Thomas, Al Horford and the other starters.
The same can be said for the entire bench. In games where the bench struggles, minutes at a time elapse without the Celtics scoring. A ten-point first quarter later is–more often than not–whittled down two. Or even worse, a deficit is in place when many of the starters return.
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Fourteen games remain for the Celtics to find that consistency. If they do, this team could very well be playing in June.
And it all starts Friday at Brooklyn.