Celtics’ surge reshapes expectations as newcomers click
celtics-hot-streak-reshapes-expectations
The Boston Celtics are altering the narrative of their season after winning nine of their past 11 games, including a decisive victory over the rival Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. The streak has moved the club into early contention for a top-four finish in the Eastern Conference rather than a spot in the play-in round, according to The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn.
Boston entered the year anticipating a transitional campaign after trading two starters and losing two rotation players in free agency while aiming to stay below the league’s second luxury-tax apron. Instead, a revamped roster has blended quickly with holdovers, producing several notable wins over the last two weeks.
“We have a bunch of guys figuring it out for the first time,” guard Jaylen Brown said. “We’ve been getting better every single day and it’s coming together a little bit now, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do.”
With the club outperforming expectations, Washburn writes that it would be “negligent” if president of basketball operations Brad Stevens does not seek roster upgrades before the trade deadline. Off-season speculation had centered on Boston possibly moving Anfernee Simons or Sam Hauser to duck the tax threshold, but the team’s current success has shifted priorities.
Offense near the top of the league
The Celtics own the NBA’s second-best offensive rating, notes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Backup guard Payton Pritchard said the unit can still improve: “If everybody’s just focused on how we can get a little bit better each day, each game, then eventually we’ll become the team we want to become.”
Walsh earns praise for defense—and scoring
Rookie forward Jordan Walsh has solidified a starting role with his defensive energy and has shown recent scoring punch, logging 17 points in 26 minutes against Los Angeles after a career-high 22-point effort Thursday in Washington. Lakers guard Austin Reaves called Walsh “physically gifted” and predicted he could become one of the league’s top defenders.
Tillman’s minutes dip as Mazzulla opts for smaller lineups
Center Xavier Tillman has seen limited action over the past month while head coach Joe Mazzulla has turned to Josh Minott as a small-ball backup center, Brian Robb of MassLive reported in a mailbag column. Robb supports the strategy, noting it frees minutes for young wings Hugo Gonzalez and Baylor Scheierman.
Source: HoopsRumors
