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Boston Celtics: 5 problems facing the ‘team to beat’

By Jordan Daly

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 9: Marcus Smart #36 of the Boston Celtics plays against the Los Angeles Clippers at TD Garden on February 9, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 9: Marcus Smart #36 of the Boston Celtics plays against the Los Angeles Clippers at TD Garden on February 9, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images) /

1. Expectations were always set too high

The Celtics were expected to be the equivalent to the Golden State Warriors. They were supposed to be the next generation super-team. Well, guess what? They still can be.

They are a young and inexperienced team, so setting such unrealistic expectations was unprecedented. Before the season started, sports analyst Bill Simmons said, “The Boston Celtics are going to win 67 games and be up by 30 in a lot of them.” He went on to say they would dominate the Eastern Conference.

The East is not as soft as it once was. With the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors running the East, there is no real frontrunner anymore.

The “must win every game by 30” mentality would catch up to them eventually. The Celtics are not a bad team by any means. They have a winning record of 35-21 and are still seeded to make the playoffs. There is also still plenty of time left.

In their last 10 games, Boston is 7-3. Aside from the two recent blown games, the Cs have been showing signs of improvement and consistency.

Kyrie Irving has the mentality that the rest of the team needs to follow: don’t just think about where you need to be, but think how are you going to get there. He spoke to this:

"“We’re trying to play for a position right now trying to get a great seed. That should be our number one goal, and that right there is a realization for me that even when I’m thinking about the future, I’ve got to think about how do we get there, but what steps do we need to hit. That’s a goal first just getting a seed. We can’t be comfortable being in fifth. I’m not comfortable in it, so now I go back and really re-work things and try to think about how I attack the next day.”"

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At the end of the day, after clinching a playoff berth, seeds mean nothing. All that matters is what team will win a seven-game series, and there is no team that scares the Celtics. Once they can figure out a good mentality and fix up some chemistry issues, they will be the unstoppable team they were once destined to be.

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