Boston Celtics: 3 big questions following 2019 NBA All-Star break
2. Do the Celtics have enough firepower to come out of the East?
As good as the Celtics have been as of late, they’ve had their fair share of problems during the course of the season. For instance, the team played at or around .500 through the first 20 games.
Secondly, things tend to get a bit testy for this ball club when adversity hits. Here’s what Kyrie Irving had to say following a road loss to the Orlando Magic on Jan. 12.
"“The young guys don’t know what it takes to be a championship level team,” Irving said, via Keith Smith of Real GM. “What it takes every day. And if they think it is hard now, what do they think it will be like when we’re trying to get to the Finals?”"
Whether it is the pressure of being in a leading role, or the frustration that comes from losing to a sub-.500 team for the second time in as many nights, Irving didn’t do himself any favors by publicly calling out his teammates.
Another obstacle that could make Boston’s road through the conference a bit more difficult has to do with the other teams who own the top four records in the conference. The Philadelphia 76ers, who have an identical record (37-21), added Tobias Harris prior to the trade deadline.
Harris was averaging 20.9 points per contest before coming to the Sixers and he’s shooting a more than respectable 42.9 percent from downtown. Although the Celtics have had their way with Philly, adding Harris to the fold gives this team another formidable player in the starting lineup.
The Toronto Raptors also made a move, acquiring Marc Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies. True, at 34 years of age, Gasol is in the twilight of his career. Despite all the NBA miles on his body, though, he still boasts career averages of 15.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest.
His shooting range extends out to the 3-point line and he is still a capable defender. In other words, the guy can do a bit of everything.
Last, but certainly not least, let’s not forget about the team that everyone is talking about this season: the Milwaukee Bucks. Milwaukee already has the best record in the league and ranks in the top five for both offensive and defensive rating.
Prior to the trade deadline, the Bucks took another step toward improving their odds for a deep postseason run by acquiring Nikola Mirotic from the New Orleans Pelicans. While Mirotic has yet to suit up for his new team, he’s averaging 16.7 points and 8.3 boards per contest on shooting splits of .447/.368/.842 this year.
Another tidbit worth mentioning is the fact that he’s converted 43.9 percent of his looks beyond 28 feet and has the ninth-most makes from that distance, even though he’s missed 27 games. Having multiple guys on the floor who can knock it down from distance will make the Bucks a force to be reckoned with come playoff time.
While these teams took steps toward improving their playoff positioning, the Celtics chose to stand pat. It will be interesting to see how the Celts finish the season, considering they face one of the toughest remaining schedules while their counterparts have a strength of schedule that ranks in the bottom third in the league.