The Boston Celtics have hit their stride as of late, and many people are curious as to their strategy for success.
The Boston Celtics have been plagued with more injuries this season than any in the team’s last few. Just to illustrate some examples, Gordon Hayward has missed 17 games, Enes Kanter has missed 12, Marcus Smart has sat out 11, Jaylen Brown has been ruled out of nine contests, and their All-Star point guard, Kemba Walker, has been absent for a total of eight games.
Last but not least, their promising big man Robert Williams has been out for 32 games so far (NBA.com), and has no definitive timetable for a return.
Despite all those injuries, the Celtics are right behind the Toronto Raptors (another injury-riddled team) for second in the Eastern Conference. While it is unlikely the Celtics or Raptors catch up to the Milwaukee Bucks, the second seed is crucial to avoid facing the Bucks until the Eastern Conference Finals.
Despite injury concerns, the C’s are 9-1 in their last 10 games, trailing the aforementioned Raptors, who are 10-0 in their last 10 and are on a 13-game winning streak.
Throughout their last 10, Boston has beaten the likes of the Miami Heat (in Miami), the Philadelphia 76ers (without Kemba Walker), the Los Angeles Lakers, and have taken care of the Atlanta Hawks twice, along with a dismantling of the Memphis Grizzlies, and solid wins against the Orlando Magic.
While not the most impressive of schedules, their main starting five (Walker, Brown, Hayward, Jayson Tatum and Daniel Theis) has only played two games together in the last 10 games. In those two games, they beat the Lakers by 32 points and handled the Golden State Warriors at home.
For some teams, having that many injuries spells trouble. Having so many interchangeable parts isn’t a good thing, especially as every night sees a different player or two sit out. However, the “next man up” approach has never been utilized more than with this current Celtics team.
There are a few reasons why they have been so good recently. Having a coach such as Brad Stevens certainly doesn’t hurt, but their play on the court has been great as well. Time to take a dive into the Celtics recent games and see what has been the reason for success.