After a hot start to the 2017-2018 NBA season, the Boston Celtics appear to have cooled off lately. They now stand at 48-23, five games back of the Eastern Conference leaders, the Toronto Raptors. Plagued by injuries and streaky play, have the Celtics simply run out of gas at this point in the season?
To answer that question, it is important to first look back at what the team has done so far. The Celtics went 5-2 in October, and 14-2 in November, including a 16-game winning streak in that span. They went 11-6 in December and 7-5 in January. Their record in February was 8-4. In January, Boston led the league in defensive rating, posting a 99.7 number. In February, however, their ranking dropped 12 spots, which, coincidentally, was close to the increase in the number, which was 109.3.
The Celtics shot 45.1% from the field in February, which ranked 19th in the NBA. So far in March, Boston is treading water at 4-4, with five more games remaining in the month. While performance has been an issue, the real problem with the Celtics is the long list of serious injuries to their key players.
Boston had a very eventful offseason, with some of their more notable moves including trading for superstar point guard Kyrie Irving, signing All-Star forward Gordon Hayward, and drafting sharpshooter Jayson Tatum. Irving has been every bit the player the Celtics thought they were getting when they gave up Jae Crowder, Isaiah Thomas, Ante Zizic, and the Brooklyn Nets' 2018 first-round pick for him. Tatum has been very impressive for a 20-year-old and is a rookie of the year candidate.
But Hayward's season ended before it ever got started, as he suffered a fractured tibia and a dislocated ankle in the first quarter of Boston's season-opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers. And that was just the beginning of the Celtics' injury woes.
Guard Jaylen Brown suffered a concussion in early March and has missed the team's last five games. In his 61 starts this season, Brown has averaged 14.1 points per game on 46% shooting. After emerging as a key bench contributor, backup forward Daniel Theis tore his meniscus and will miss the rest of the season.
Irving has been dealing with pain in his left knee that has caused him to miss the last four games. Nothing is for certain, but there are rumors that he will need offseason surgery. It is the same knee that he had operated on after the 2014-2015 NBA Finals, where he fractured the kneecap. He had dealt with issues related to that knee over the past few years in Cleveland, so it isn't all that surprising that it is flaring up on him again.
Backup point guard Marcus Smart rounds out the injuries for Boston, as he will miss the remainder of the regular season while rehabbing his right thumb, in which he tore a ligament. Terry Rozier has done a fine job filling in for Irving and Smart, but if the Celtics wish to advance deep into the playoffs, they will need their star players to be healthy.
Boston's primary competition in the Eastern Conference playoffs is Cleveland and Toronto. The Raptors are 53-18, tied with the Golden State Warriors for the second-best record in the NBA. Toronto's backcourt duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan has played at an All-Star level all year, and their supporting cast has taken a step forward as well. These Raptors are different than past years' iteration of the team and will be a tough opponent for either Boston or Cleveland.
Despite other teams feeling the strain of the long NBA season, the Cavs' LeBron James has not taken even one game off. While his teammates such as Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson have missed time, James continues to be the NBA's iron man. The Cavs have beaten the Celtics in the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, and are on a collision course for a fourth consecutive postseason matchup.
Golden State is also showing signs of wear and tear, as Draymond Green, Omri Casspi, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Stephen Curry are all on the injury report. The Cavs' Kevin Love missed extended time with a hand injury. The Celtics aren't the only beat-up team and the fact that they are still the Eastern Conference's second seed a testament to not only their depth but also to the coaching of Brad Stevens. His ability to develop young players and involve them in the rotation while diving up touches to multiple ball-dominant players is what makes him one of the NBA's best coaches.
The Celtics are limping across the finish line, but if they can get healthy before the playoffs, they have the talent to make some serious noise. Their core is composed almost entirely of great young players, so they will be a force to be reckoned with for many years to come, even if this season ends in disappointment.
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