Battling injuries, Boston Celtics still finding ways to win
Injuries have piled up for the Boston Celtics in the 2018-19 season, but the team keeps finding ways to win and stay near the top of the Eastern Conference.
The Boston Celtics, upon first glance at the standings, might be underachieving compared to where they were at this point in 2017-18.
Heading into Friday night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks, the Celtics are 22-15 and in fifth-place in the Eastern Conference.
Things could be a lot worse, if not for the experienced roster who dealt with similar issues last season.
The four Celtics scheduled to miss Friday night’s game are Kyrie Irving, Marcus Morris, Aron Baynes and Robert Williams.
Irving leads Boston in points (23.1 ppg) and assists (6.6 apg) and will miss his second-straight game with an eye infection.
This will be the fourth game Irving has either missed or sat out this season.
In his second season with the Celtics, Irving is once again proving his worth. He also has the most All-Star votes among guards in the Eastern Conference.
Morris has been playing at an all-star level as well. Injuries at various times to Al Horford and Baynes have given Morris more playing time.
The forward has responded by averaging 15.4 points and 6 rebounds per game. Morris is also shooting 43.5 percent from three-point range.
This will be the fourth game Morris will miss this season.
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Baynes last played December 19 and the broken bone on his hand will keep him out another few weeks. Williams is dealing with a groin injury and last played December 23.
Even Horford has sat out or missed nine games this season.
Little roster turnover between last season and now has helped and it’s a main reason the Celtics are still winning (and only 4.5 games out of first in the conference).
Different player, different night
Irving has consistently been the top player and Morris is having a career-season, but others are certainly contributing as needed.
And Gordon Hayward was the most recent example of a player stepping up when others are out.
Hayward had his best game of the season the other night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He looked comfortable on the court, both looking for shot and attacking the rim. It was going to take some time to get back to form after his injury, and his play the other night was a good sign.
The continued growth of Jayson Tatum has also been a factor. Tatum is second on the team in scoring (16 ppg) and leads the team in rebounding (6.5 rgp). He’s also one of only three players on the roster to play in every game this season.
The other two are Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier. Both are a hybrid of the same role of backup guard. Smart’s offensive numbers are down so far, though he’s shooting better than in season’s past. He also averages 1.9 steals per game.
Rozier has had his ups-and-downs but steps up when needed, especially when inserted into the starting lineup.
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All told, the team has still succeeded, even as injuries accrue and lineups are tinkered with. Given the experience of this roster — as long as they accept their roles — this is a team that should be favored again once the playoffs start in April.
Especially if everyone’s healthy. You know then the Boston Celtics will be raring to go.