Celtics Insider: Why recent skid was no reason to panic

The end of 2022 and the start of 2023 have seen plenty of wins collected by the home teams (Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins) on Causeway street in Boston.

But the Celtics’ recent habit of lackluster effort and long scoring draughts has led to the C’s second three-game losing streak of the season before ending that streak with a win over the Los Angeles Lakers. While the schedule leading up to NBA All-Star week on the weekend of February 19 is formidable, pressing the panic button on the 2022-2023 Celtics is unnecessary.

Focusing on the Boston Celtics positives so far this season

First thing’s first, the Boston Celtics have the best record in the NBA. Judging by some commentary from the local media, this may be hard to believe, but it’s true. They also lead the East by 2 games following Philadelphia’s comeback win over the Nuggets Saturday afternoon. They’re 20 games over .500, 20-11 in the East, 6-1 in the Atlantic division, 18-6 at home, and 17-9 on the road.

The Boston Celtics are a very, very good basketball team, still. Another positive perspective is that before losing 3-straight, the C’s had won 9-straight and were 13-2 in their last 15 contests.

Championship teams have ups and downs

Please make no mistake; the course of the NBA’s 82-game schedule is an absolute grind, even for the top teams in the league. And as great as they’ve been, the Celtics are no exception. Looking back at the Warriors’ 2021-2022 schedule can give insight into some challenges a championship team can face.

The Warriors lost 5 of 6 from February 9th to February 16th. They also lost 5 straight the first week of March and 7 of 8 from March 16th to the 30th. But they have championship mettle, right?

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Well, how about the 2021 NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks? The Bucks had two separate three-game losing streaks, and their worst skid was a 5-game losing streak stretching from February 10th to February 18th, but they were the only ones standing at the end of the season. The NBA schedule is such a grueling test that even the teams that eventually hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy go through tough stretches.

There is still a lot of season left for the Boston Celtics to get it right

The reality is that there is still a ton of basketball left to be played this season. The Celtics still have 32 games left to play in the regular season. Am I saying that they don’t need to make additions to the roster to add some depth?

No, of course not. I’m also not saying that Jayson Tatum’s wrist is not mildly concerning. But the knee-jerk reactions from local media and fans are a bit much.

This is an excellent basketball team that can hopefully stay healthy, add-some depth through acquisitions and players returning from injury, and make a serious push to help the Boston Celtics organization raise banner 18.