Boston Celtics: 5 keys to series vs. Bucks

4. Let the young stars get a lot of experience

Every team that qualifies for the postseason will swear it is playing for a title. The players, the coaches, the front office, the owner — to make the postseason is to be fighting one’s way to the Finals and a chance at hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

While it is true that injuries and the unknown could propel a team further than expected, only a handful of teams every season have a true show at the title. For the rest, it’s reasonable and in fact wise to mix long-term goals with the short-term ones.

Cue the Boston Celtics, who, without Gordon Hayward, Kyrie Irving and Marcus Smart, are not winning a title this year. Both necessity and a look to the future should propel Boston to play its young core as much as possible.

Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum represent the future of the Celtics, and each has upside to become something great. Playoff minutes are so vital to the development of players, and the Celtics should therefore play that core extended minutes.

Multiple players going down with knee injuries is a poor way to find a silver lining, but at least the rest of the team can be learning from this experience in order to be better equipped to make a run next year.