Checking in on the Boston Celtics at the All-Star break
NBA.com
There were many things Boston Celtics fans did not see coming this 2021-2022 season. They did not expect the team to struggle as much as they did last year, and the way things were going this season, no one expected the C’s to win nine straight and 11 of 13 to close out the break. So let’s take a second to check-in at the All-Star break.
Checking in on the Boston Celtics at the All-Star break
1. Pistons loss was a shocker
When Jayson Tatum’s jumper did not connect on a potential game-winner, the most impressive winning streak of the Celtics’ season came to an end. Granted, Marcus Smart and Robert Williams did not play, but not many expected the Pistons to put up such a fight.
It was just one of those games on the second night of a back-to-back where anything could happen - and it did. That being said, in comparison to the .500 struggles from the first half of the year, to be 34-26 at this point after winning nine of 10 is a position that most Celtics fans are glad to be in at this time.
The rest of the season has glowing excitement and rising expectations. These next 22 games are going to be watched on the edge of your seat, hoping for the best outcome every night!
2. Only one All-Star
When Jaylen Brown was not chosen to replace James Harden in the NBA All-Star Game, it meant that Jayson Tatum would be Boston’s lone representative in Cleveland for the event. Brown was certainly worthy of a spot in the game, but many feel that his absence early in the season may have hurt his chances. Tatum ended up scoring eight points and playing just over 20 minutes in the All-Star Game.
3. Realistic expectations
Anything can happen in the NBA, as we have seen time and time again. So should fans expect in the second half of the season? Well for starters, the Celtics will get more rest over the balance of the regular season with 22 games remaining between February 24 and April 10 (end of the regular season).
They have 3 back-to-backs remaining, so there will be some instances of multiple days off between games. The 22 games include 12 road games and 10 home games. If this team can go 16-6 (or better) and end up with 50 or more victories, they could very well earn a top-four seed in the playoff picture.
This would guarantee at least one home-court advantage series in the playoffs. Health always plays a big role in how the C’s play, and if no one has any lingering injuries, this defense can get even tougher with rest and practice time to continue to improve. It’s not unreasonable to expect this team to go 17-5, finish 51-31, and grab the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. After that, anything can happen!
