Boston Celtics in prime spot to make a move in standings
The clock is ticking for the Boston Celtics as the league approaches the halfway point of the 2021-22 season.
And for the first time in a long while, the idea of a full, healthy roster for the Celtics is finally coming to fruition.
It’s definitely been a slog mired in mediocrity this season as Boston (18-19) currently sits in 10th-place in the Eastern Conference. Injuries, NBA Health and Safety protocols, and a rotation in constant flux have all sidetracked the Celtics.
Play on the court has been just as frustrating to watch. Fantastic starts followed by abysmal finishes have haunted Boston more often than not.
Hope is within reach as the Celtics get healthy, and the time to make-or-break the season begins now.
Upcoming games for Boston Celtics
An upcoming schedule has the Celtics playing 8 of their next 12 games at home. This should provide ample opportunity for Boston, 11-7 at the TD Garden this season, to make a move in the standings.
Currently eight games out of first, there was a feeling the Eastern Conference would be muddled this season, especially near the middle-of-the-pack. Health issues have wreaked havoc across the league to contribute to this but not many predicted the Chicago Bulls to have the best record in the East.
Related Story. Is Jayson Tatum actually the superstar the Celtics think he is?. light
The Bulls come to town on 1/15 but before then the Celtics play six games, beginning with a home game against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday (1/5). Boston defeated the Spurs by eight back in November.
That’s followed by two games against the New York Knicks, who the Celtics are 1-1 against this season. Two against the Indiana Pacers come next, meaning Boston’s next five games are against teams currently with losing records.
A huge chance awaits this team, especially with the possibility of playing with a starting five of Al Horford, Robert Williams III, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart. This has only happened (by my count) eight times this season and hasn’t happened since a December 13 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Boston is 5-3 when these five players are in the starting lineup together. The three losses all happened early in the season, and this starting unit has won five straight.
That number could improve as soon as Wednesday night with the return of a healthy Tatum.
Boston Celtics: The return of the J’s
Tatum had been playing some of his basketball of the season in December before being sidelined the last four games.
In December, Tatum averaged 27.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. He notched a double-double in three games and narrowly missed out on four more, collecting nine rebounds in each of his last four games of the month.
Since his return on December 13, Brown has been simply electric. He’s scored at least 20 points or more in all but that first game back. Aside from a 1-13 performance from three-point range against the Clippers — a game in which still scored 30 — Brown has delivered.
None more so than a 50-point performance in Sunday’s victory over the Orlando Magic. Brown practically willed the Celtics, as shorthanded as they were, to the overtime win.
This duo is exciting to watch and have grown into stars in this league. Trouble is, it’s been a rare sight to see them both excel at the same time in games this season. The more they are on the court together, with a healthy roster around them, the better this team is going to get.
Next. Jaylen Brown and the art of a superstar performance. dark
It’s to the point in the season where teams have to decide how they proceed down the stretch.
The Boston Celtics aren’t at a giving up point just yet. There’s enough time to make that run that gets them right back near the top of the conference. It’s going to take some work. But if the starting five mentioned above can stay on the court for a stretch of games — rather than sporadically here and there — this team is going to make some noise before the clock strikes midnight on the ’21-22 season.