The Boston Celtics are in the NBA playoffs. Sure, they probably will not accomplish much. Sure, Cleveland will probably stomp them.
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But who saw this coming?
Bill Simmons and Jalen Rose had the Celtics as the fourth-worst team in the league. Kelly Dwyer predicted 28 wins. FanSided’s best case scenario was that Boston would “finish with 30-something wins, good for 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings.”
Even those who believed Boston could return to the playoffs thought because it would be of Rajon Rondo’s brilliance. Rondo would be fully recovered from his ACL injury and lead the Celtics to the playoffs with his passing brilliance. When Rondo and Jeff Green were traded? Well, that was supposed to be the end of the line for Boston’s playoff hopes. It was time for the tank to begin.
No one told the Celtics players. They fell all the way down to a 16-30 record, below the Heat and the Nets and everyone else. But they refused to give up. Even before Danny Ainge revitalized this roster with the Isaiah Thomas trade, they won four of the final five games before the All-Star Break. This included that win over Atlanta where Evan Turner floated in the game-winner.
And then Isaiah Thomas came. Few would outright call Thomas a malcontent, but he had his chemistry concerns. There had been problems between Thomas and DeMarcus Cousins in Sacramento. Then for 46 miserable games, the Phoenix Suns had the bright idea of getting three ball-dominant point guards together and hoping that it would somehow work.
It did not. Phoenix overreacted by shipping two of those point guards out and fell out of the playoff race afterwards. And in just 25 games, Isaiah Thomas has showcased himself as a legitimate candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award.
As a Celtic, Thomas has averaged 19.5 points on 13.6 shots in just 25.9 minutes. After struggling with chemistry issues with his past two teams, what does he think about what the Celtics can accomplish?
That.
Let us not forget everyone else in this team effort. Marcus Smart will not be earning any Rookie of the Year votes and plays stupid sometimes, but he just turned 21 and has shown defense beyond most rookies. Avery Bradley’s defense is something to behold. Jonas Jerebko can shoot.
Really, there is almost no one on the Celtics squad who was a major disappointment this year (well, maybe Jared Sullinger.)
But every night, this squad came out, defended the perimeter, and scored just enough to win so many games down the stretch. Since that low point in February, they went 22-12, the equivalent of 53 wins over an 82 game season.
And at the center of it all is Brad Stevens. In an ordinary season, Stevens would be an easy candidate for the Coach of the Year. His in-game execution is up there with Gregg Popovich. The players love to play for him. He has gotten this team to execute hard and well on the defensive end. What more could you ask for with this squad?
He may not have the roster Mike Budenholzer or Steve Kerr have, but there is no doubt Stevens is right up there with those two in the best new coaches in the league.
The Celtics should and will fight to shock the world in round one, both for their pride and for their fans. But no matter what happens, this has been one of the best Celtics seasons in years. They played harder, coached better, and accomplished more any fan or media analyst ever expected from them. The result is a playoff spot which no one expected and everyone in Boston can celebrate.
Hardwood Houdini
And this is not like the Charlotte Bobcats of the past or other lower seeds, filled with mediocre, overpaid veterans. The best thing about this accomplishment is that the foundation is there to accomplish even greater things.
The Celtics have their weaknesses, as is expected from a sub-.500 team. They do not have any defensive big men. They could use another reliable perimeter scorer aside from Thomas. They regard the three-point line as some foul sorcery.
But those are weaknesses which can and will be addressed in the offseason. Maybe Kevin Love or another quality free agent will be interested in playing for a young team that gave an elite team a tough battle in the first round. And even defeats can show player what areas they need to work on to take their game to the next level.
These 2015 playoffs are just the first step to an 18th Boston banner. As the Celtics grab additional playoff experience and hope to continue this terrific run, they should remember that it is about next season as much as this one.
Now, on to Cleveland! May the best (Boston) team win.
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