Early on in the season, it looked like the Boston Celtics weren’t going to be a playoff-caliber team. On Nov. 11, the Celtics fell to 5-7 after suffering a brutal loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Since then, the Celtics have won 13 out of their last 17 games and currently rank third in the Eastern Conference.
The primary reason for their recent turnaround is the emergence of their depth players. Entering this season, the Celtics had numerous unknowns surrounding their depth, and so far, they’ve surpassed expectations. Players like Jordan Walsh, Josh Minott, Hugo Gonzalez, and Baylor Scheierman have excelled in executing their roles, which have significantly contributed to their recent success.
Celtics’ Young Players Have Been Vital to Their Success
For the last few years, the Celtics have been heavily reliant on their star players. During their championship run, superstars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were leading the charge. While Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Al Horford complemented the duo with their quality contributions.
Besides these six, the Celtics weren’t getting much production from their other players. While Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and Luke Kornet had their moments, they weren’t as vital as the other six, and no one else besides them had carved out a significant role.
Since they were always in the running for a championship, the Celtics didn’t have time to develop younger players. This, combined with paying top dollar for their starters, ultimately affected the team’s depth, with the Celtics focused on capitalizing on that core. Last year, the Celtics' bench ranked 21st in points per game (30.4)
This year, with their numerous offseason departures combined with Tatum sidelined due to injury, the Celtics have been forced to lean on their depth. So far, they’ve delivered. Through 29 games, the bench has improved its bench scoring, ranking 16th in bench points (35.5).
While their improvement scoring has been important, it’s their work on the glass, defense, and all-around effort that has been vital. Head coach Joe Mazzulla deserves credit for this, as he’s done a fantastic job finding where the young players excel and putting them in the best position to succeed.
Celtics' Depth Has Given Their Season a New Life
This has led to the emergence of Walsh and Minott, who have given the Celtics two superb wing defenders who can take the pressure off Brown from guarding the star players every night.
Meanwhile, Gonzalez’s effort on the defensive end and his hustle rebounds have been crucial in sparking the Celtics’ runs and keeping the team engaged, while Scheierman has done a fine job as the primary ball-handler in certain actions.
With these four providing the Celtics with quality contributions night in and night out, it has given them a new outlook on the season. Before, the Celtics couldn’t afford to win without Brown, as he played the team’s first 21 games. Now, they can give Brown a night off to preserve him for the long run.
This could also be crucial once Tatum returns. If he were to play this season, the Celtics wouldn’t have to give Tatum the responsibility of guarding the best wing or rely on him for coming down with the rebounds, and instead, they could opt to give Walsh, Minott, or Gonzalez these burdens.
Not only would it ease Tatum’s workload, but it would also give the Celtics critical lineup flexibility. With Tatum in the fold, the Celtics could run an effective small-ball lineup with him at the four and with Walsh or Minott at the five to create spacing or use a traditional lineup with Neemias Queta at center.
Regardless, the breakout of their younger depth players has given life to the Celtics. With the Eastern Conference being the weakest it’s been in the last five years, it allows the Celtics to make a run if Tatum were to return.
Even if he doesn’t, the Celtics are still a competitive team, and that’s all you could ask for considering where they were last month.