Over the past couple of games, the Boston Celtics have been cautious with their stars as they prepare for the NBA playoffs to begin next month. In doing this, they have allowed for rookie Baylor Scheierman and newly acquired Torrey Craig to get more minutes off the bench.
As fun as it is to watch new Celtics thrive in their roles, this will only be temporary as Boston will want to give their best players the most minutes come playoff time, ultimately shortening the rotation.
Monday night's 114-108 win over the Utah Jazz marked the sixth straight game that Kristaps Porzingis has missed due to illness and Jayson Tatum and Al Horford took the night off as well. It's better to be safe than sorry for Joe Mazzulla, as the Celtics are all but locked into the No.2 seed in the East with 17 games remaining.
Aside from a few additions, the Celtics have kept their roster intact from their NBA Finals Championship run last year. It'll be more of the same faces in the postseason this time around, as these Celtics have proven they can win no matter who is thrown in front of them.
The Starting 5: Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis
When the Celtics put forth this starting lineup, it's hard for any team to match up well, especially in a seven-game playoff series. Even with Porzingis in and out of the lineup, the Celtics managed to go 16-3 in the playoffs last year en route to their 18th championship.
The bad news for Boston is that this lineup has only played a combined 20 games together this season. Porzingis missed the first month of the season after getting offseason surgery on his leg and is now dealing with a viral illness. Holiday and Brown have missed some time with their share of minor injuries.
On the other hand, Derrick White has only missed three games, while Tatum has missed five, as most of their absences have come due to rest purposes.
Getting Porzingis back to speed will be crucial for Boston as the regular season winds down. The big man is slated to miss his seventh straight game due to illness on Wednesday night as the Celtics play host to the West-leading OKC Thunder.
The good news for Boston - the Celtics are still 47-18 on the year while not having this fully-healthy starting five often. The ability Joe Mazzulla has to plug in different players to the starting lineup is a true luxury and speaks volumes to the depth this Celtics team has.
With that being said, the Celtics will need to have all hands on deck for another title run. The Eastern Conference has improved, as the Cavaliers look to be the Celtics' biggest challenge from here on out. The Knicks, Bucks, and Pacers are also contenders in the East, but all three have played a tier below Boston and Cleveland this season.
The starting five of Holiday-White-Brown-Tatum-Porzingis has proven to work wonders for Joe Mazzulla, and this seems like a lineup that can only beat itself. One through five can shoot, make plays, and defend, creating matchup nightmares for opposing teams.
Off the Bench: Payton Pritchard, Al Horford, Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet
Led by Sixth Man of the Year favorite Payton Pritchard, the Celtics also pose one of the best bench units in the NBA. The efforts off the bench have proven to be valuable for the Celtics when the starters need a rest. Pritchard, Horford, and Hauser have provided their own memorable games for Boston in the past week, leaving Celtics fans in awe.
In the March 5th win over the Portland Trail Blazers, Payton Pritchard played the game of his life off the bench, putting up a career-high 43 points (ten threes made), 10 rebounds, and 5 assists across 43 minutes for Boston.
On Saturday night against the Lakers, Al Horford continued to show his value approaching age 39, playing tremendous defense on LeBron James and Luka Doncic. In the marquee matchup, Horford tallied 14 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals and a block as the Celtics defeated the Lakers 111-101.
To cap it off, Sam Hauser led the Celtics in scoring against the Jazz on Monday night, posting a career-high 33 points (nine threes made) and 6 rebounds. Hauser made seven 3-pointers in the third quarter, tied for the third-most threes made by a player in a quarter in NBA history and the most in Celtics history.
The Celtics have an embarrassment of riches on this roster, and these three performances in the past week prove that. Having your sixth, seventh, and eighth options contributing the way Pritchard, Horford, and Hauser have is truly remarkable. In any game, these Celtics off the bench could be the key to winning.
Not to mention, Luke Kornet has provided the Celtics with valuable center minutes in the absence of Porzingis. He gives the Celtics another shot blocker and rebounding help on the second unit.
Barring any injuries, these nine Celtics will be playing the most minutes come playoff time. Look for Torrey Craig or Neemias Queta to be the next man up if any Celtics are hit with foul trouble or are forced to miss a game.
The Celtics are riding a five-game winning streak into an entertaining match-up with the Thunder, another NBA Finals contender, on Wednesday night. Boston remains the betting favorite to win the Finals in June (+180) on FanDuel Sportsbook, while the Thunder have the second-best odds (+200).
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