With this winter storm crushing half the nation and NBA journey both delayed or cancelled this weekend, the Celtics return residence for what may very well be one other common season-defining stretch of video games. Right here’s play-by-play announcer Sean Grande with the small print:
With the NBA commerce deadline (February eighth) and All-Star Weekend (February 13-Fifteenth) on the horizon, the Celtics will play seven of their subsequent 9 video games at TD Backyard:
Not precisely a assassin’s row with the street back-to-back, however nothing could be taken with no consideration. It’s not as if Boston has precisely taken care of enterprise lately. In what was imagined to be the best month of the Celtics’ schedule, they’re a decent 8-5 to date, however it certain seems like they’ve left some video games on the desk.
They’ve been taking part in .500 ball over their final ten with the losses to the Nuggets, Spurs, Pistons, Detroit, and Chicago totaling simply 15 factors. Boston may simply be knocking on Detroit’s door for #1 and now, solely 5 video games separate the Celtics from the #2 seed and the Play-In Match.
With that in thoughts — at the very least narrative-wise — an 8-1 or 7-2 run may go a good distance in solidifying this roster as true contenders. Most probably although, Brad Stevens is aware of what they’ve and no file will change how he approaches the commerce deadline or Jayson Tatum’s return.
Nonetheless, selections loom about setting the Celtics up greatest for the long run, Boston continues to be comparatively excessive above the tax, and the workforce may use one other constant rotation participant particularly if Tatum can’t return this season. Brad Stevens, Invoice Chisholm and firm at the very least owe it to this group to face pat and permit this workforce to play out the yr.
There’ll at all times be commerce rumors, particularly for groups on the prime of the convention, so anticipate to listen to extra concerning the Celtics attempting to chop extra wage and scale back their tax burden, discovering entrance courtroom assist, utilizing Anfernee Simons $27 million expiring contract as a commerce chip, and so on. That is the NBA nonetheless and the NBA loves rumor season.
The fact is the Celtics may enter All-Star Weekend with Jaylen Brown repping the workforce as a starter and Jayson Tatum nearing a return. And no matter how they end their subsequent 9 video games, their final forty-five have proof constructive that Joe Mazzulla is without doubt one of the league’s greatest coaches and his workers, the entrance workplace has a eager eye for locating gamers that match their tradition and system, and to a person, every of them has grabbed this chance and ran with it.
