2019 NBA Playoffs: Boston Celtics vs. Indiana Pacers preview

BOSTON - MARCH 29: Boston Celtics' Kyrie Irving (11) loses a loose ball to Indiana Pacers' Thaddeus Young (21) during the fourth quarter. The Boston Celtics host the Indiana Pacers in a regular season NBA basketball game at TD Garden in Boston on March 29, 2019. (Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Key Question No. 3: Can Boston come together offensively?

The Celtics are a team blessed with a number of gifted offensive talents. Irving is a perennial All-Star. Jayson Tatum broke out in the 2018 postseason, averaging 18.5 points per game. Guys like Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris and Jaylen Brown have all proven capable of scoring 20 on a given night.

That excess of capable players is what appears to have been Boston’s downfall this season. There are simply too many mouths to feed without enough shots to go around, and it’s created an offense that isn’t producing close to the level many thought was possible prior to the season, ranking just 14th in points per game.

Some teams just lack the talent necessary to score at a high level, but that’s never been the issue with the Celtics. They simply need to find a way to come together at the most important time in order to best serve the ultimate goal.

Asking players on this team to make sacrifices is a tough sell, especially when money is thrown into the equation. Rozier and Morris will be free agents at season’s end, while Brown and Tatum want to show out before their rookie deals expire.

If Boston can learn to play freely without worry regarding individual numbers, there’s a very high chance it can improve on its run to the conference finals last season. If not, the disappointing defeats suffered throughout the regular season will only continue in the playoffs.