Boston Celtics: Pieces are still in place to win the East

Despite some struggles, the Boston Celtics’ most recent victory should serve as a reminder that they still have the ability to reign over the conference.

As the Boston Celtics prepared to head out on their four-game West Coast trip starting Tuesday night, there was little optimism around a franchise many had such high hopes for heading into the 2018-19 season.

Having lost five out of their last six games, this team was searching for a true identity on the offensive end. Even this late into the season, Boston’s roles were still undefined without enough shots and minutes to keep everyone happy. Still looking to prove themselves, the youngsters believed they could do more after their run to the conference finals last season, while Kyrie Irving was struggling with leadership and Gordon Hayward still trying to find a rhythm.

Some had even suggested they were better off without Irving in uniform, citing the extra ball movement and team-friendly persona they took on without him. The Celtics were deemed worthy by some as challengers to the Golden State Warriors prior to the season. Now, their ability to advance past even the first round was up in the air.

Over the next four games, the Celtics would face the Dubs, the playoff-hopeful Sacramento Kings and both L.A. squads. Under normal circumstances, this was no death sentence, but given the season they’ve had — losing to bad teams and struggling against great ones — it had the makings of a nightmare experience.

In game No. 1 of what could turn out to be a make-or-break trip, the Cs started off great, going into Oracle Arena and absolutely thrashing the Warriors by a final score of 128-95 — the champs’ worst loss of the season.

The Celtics led wire-to-wire and played with incredible continuity in registering a whopping 38 assists. Five players scored in double-figures, led by a renaissance performance by Hayward, who finished with a game-high 30 points. It’s this type of two-way effort fans expected to see on a nightly basis, and it was a showing of what they’re like at their all-out best.

Remember, there was a reason most people had Boston pegged for a berth in the NBA Finals. There was a reason Bill Simmons infamously predicted his beloved team winning 67 games. It wasn’t crazy. They were so good last season without two of their better players, and their return was only supposed to make them better.

Hayward’s struggles coming back from injury have obviously held the Celtics back some, but this was a guy who made the All-Star team only two years ago. That player has to be in there somewhere, and letting him play through the rust may be the only way to help coax it out.

Say what you want about his leadership qualities, but Kyrie is still one of the best crunch-time scorers in all the league with loads of playoff experience. He’s a guy you want on your team. Boston couldn’t buy a bucket late in Game 7 last season. Maybe if Irving had been healthy, things would’ve played out differently.

Some of the numbers and efficiency have decreased from the likes of Jayson Tatum, Terry Rozier and Jaylen Brown, and yet just last year they were dropping 20 a night in helping the Celtics win big playoff games most thought they were too young and inexperienced in.

This isn’t even mentioning the Swiss army knife that is Al Horford or the gritty, hard-nosed defender named Marcus Smart. Both may not show up in the box score, but they always find ways to impact the outcome of a game.

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Through all its struggles on the offensive end, Boston’s still been one of the best defensive squads in the NBA, ranking third in defensive rating. If they could just get guys like Rozier and Brown to buy into playing for something bigger than their future salaries, it would pay massive dividends to their title hopes.

As talented as the conference is, it’s also incredibly up for grabs. Right now, Boston sits fifth in the East, two and a half games back of the Philadelphia 76ers, who it’s beaten seven out of the last eight times including the playoffs. The Milwaukee Bucks have little postseason experience, the Indiana Pacers don’t have that one guy to carry them and there are still question marks surrounding the Toronto Raptors‘ late-game execution.

The Celtics have depth and star power. They can throw a number of different lineup combinations and have gone through the postseason trenches. Brad Stevens may not be the second coming of Gregg Popovich, but his teams have always been great defensively and his playbook creates open looks for everybody.

The Cs may not be the lock everyone thought they would be to advance all the way to the championship round, but as their win at Golden State can attest, their ceiling may be higher than those looking down on them in the standings. If they can consistently maintain that level of play, a run to the Finals may not look so crazy after all.