If and when the NBA season resumes this season, these five players are going to be vital for the Boston Celtics to make a run during the playoffs.
The Boston Celtics were poised for playoff greatness this season. While the NBA was just under a month away from the start of their 2020 playoffs, the Celtics were ranked third in the Eastern Conference and hoping to take control of the second seed heading into the playoffs. But all of that is now put on hold until the dangerous coronavirus pandemic is taken care of, whenever that might end up being.
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With that being said, this unexpected time off should be used for players and teams to stay healthy and regain some strength after the exhausting season endured thus far. As the second half of the season went underway, the Celtics quickly got hit with injuries to some of their key players, including Jaylen Brown (hamstring), Gordon Hayward (knee), Robert Williams (back), Kemba Walker (knee), and even Marcus Smart, who is the only player on the team who actually tested positive for COVID-19.
Prior to the season’s suspension, the Celtics were sitting comfortably with a 43-21 record and with three players who were averaging over 20 points per game this season in Brown, Walker, and Jayson Tatum. Hayward’s name should also be included in that conversation as he has averaged over 20 points per game multiple times over the course of the regular season this year. The same should go for Smart, who has proved to be an offensive contributor this season.
But all in all, after acquiring an All-Star point guard in the offseason and obtaining six rookies along the way, the Boston Celtics have exceeded their expectations this season. Although there have been many notable contributors to the season so far, here are five players who have certainly stepped up this season and have helped set the Celtics up for success moving forward.