Boston Celtics: Player report cards for Christmas

2018 is nearing an end. College students are receiving their final grades, while the younger students receive progress reports. Sports should be no different. Here’s an almost-midseason progress report for the Boston Celtics.

The 2018-19 Boston Celtics have been a puzzle. There have been nights where they looked like the best team to ever grace an NBA floor, like their overtime win against the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 16. There have also been nights where the Celtics played a style of basketball one would be more likely to find in a Boys & Girls Club in Idaho than an NBA hardwood (that would be Wednesday at home against the Phoenix Suns.)

By and large, the Celtics were picked to be the best team in the Eastern Conference. They were practically anointed by many as Eastern Conference champions without ever bouncing a ball before the season began. While the early 10-10 start was thought to be a mostly enigmatic mirage, aspects of the poor play have carried over.

Make no mistake: The Celtics will still (probably, hopefully) be okay. They still possess a +6.9 point differential that’s tied for third-best in the association. They’ve also seen upticks in offensive efficiency lately. However, as the holiday cheer enters our homes and hearts, the Celtics will face a gauntlet of a Christmas week when they will face the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers.

We will certainly learn a lot about the Celtics, and about the Bucks and Sixers, in the coming week. Until then, and without further adieu, here are the player grades through the first 30 games of the Celtics’ season.