Before the 2018-19 season started, the Boston Celtics were the popular pick by many to win the Eastern Conference. The Celtics went to Game 7 of the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals, and they did that without point guard Kyrie Irving and small forward Gordon Hayward. Both All-Stars were out with injuries.
But with Irving and Hayward both healthy this year, the prevailing thought was the Celtics would breeze through the East and advance to the NBA Finals now that LeBron James is out West with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Now 39 games into the season, though, Boston is just 24-15 and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. The team hasn't looked like the offensive juggernaut that many predicted they would be, and one Western Conference scout says the Celtics might have too much talent on the roster for their own good.
Via NBA insider Marc Stein's newsletter:
“I’m off the Celtics,” the scout said. “It’s almost like they have too much talent. Something has gone awry there. It’s too much my-turn basketball whenever I see them. The ball doesn’t move the same way it used to. And I just don’t know if Kyrie Irving is the kind of guy who can get everybody on the same page.”
Entering Tuesday, the Celtics are averaging 111.9 points per game. That ranks 12th in the NBA. The club has been playing better basketball as of late, currently on a three-game winning streak.
Hayward's return to the lineup has been a struggle, and that was to be expected. The swingman is averaging just 11.2 points per game and has been coming off the bench since late November. Irving is putting up 22.9 points and 6.6 assists, but at times the All-Star guard can dribble the life out of the ball.
Per NBA.com, the Celtics average 296.7 passes per game, which puts them at 16th in the league.
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