Boston Celtics Have to Start Fast

The regular season is about to begin and the Boston Celtics will be opening up their season against the Philadelphia 76ers. It is no secret that both of these teams are in the middle of a rebuild but their situations are drastically different. The 76ers are off of an injury riddled season with next to no regular season success. However, they did what was expected of them considering their situation.

The Celtics, on the other hand, blew away any expectations by making the playoffs after trading away both Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green. There is no doubting that both of these franchises have a long ways to go in their rebuild but the Celtics have established themselves as contenders to make the playoffs.

Nov 5, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Rajon Rondo (9) and forward Jeff Green (8) return up court against the Toronto Raptors in the first half at TD Garden. The Toronto Raptors defeated the Boston Celtics 110-107. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The Celtics are rebuilding but they cannot afford to lose to a team like the 76ers. The Celtics have a great opportunity to get the season off to a good start and they will need to establish themselves early on if they want to maintain their playoff hopes. If the Celtics want any hope of keeping stride during the first weeks they are going to have to beat a lot of teams that are a lot better than the 76ers.

Simply a 3-0 start is going to be a stretch with a second matchup against the division favourite Toronto Raptors and then a title favourite San Antonio Spurs team. The next four games get easier as they play the Pacers twice, the Bucks and the Wizards but these match ups are going to have massive playoff implications. All three of those opponents could be fringe playoff teams and there may not be enough room for all of them and the Celtics in the playoffs.

The Celtics ended last season with a record under .500 but that will be unacceptable this year. The unfortunate reality is that if the Celtics fall under .500 in their first six games, they may never get back over.

Those first seven games will be essential in establishing the Celtics. A lot of new players are going to have significant roles and they will have a short window in order to get comfortable. Brad Stevens does a phenomenal job with team chemistry and that may be the most important asset he initially brings to the table. After those first seven games, things could get dicey for the Celtics.

Oct 16, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens reacts during second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

The Celtics’ next four games are against the Hawks, the Thunder, the Rockets and the Mavericks. The Celtics need to go into this stretch with as much momentum as possible and if they cannot get out of the first seven games above .500 then it will be near impossible to make up that ground during those four games.

The good news is that the Celtics can afford to drop some of those games against some of the stronger teams in the league because three of the next four are against he Nets and the 76ers.

Even though the Celtics will be pushed to the limit during that four game stretch, the schedule is favorably set up. The Celtics have a stretch beforehand where they can cement themselves as a legitimate team in the east and they have three games they should win immediately after.

The problem is that if they Celtics fall short against the fringe playoff teams during the first seven games then they will be in a tremendous hole by the time they get to play the Nets and 76ers again.

The two games against the Pacers may be the most important. The return of Paul George could vault them to the top of the east but chances are they will be battling for a playoff spot or positioning. The same goes for the game against the Raptors as the Celtics have high hopes of reclaiming a division crown. Winning these games could give the Celtics their most important boost in the playoff hunt and it gives them flexibility against the top teams in the west.

The Bucks and the Wizards are also going to be fighting for the playoffs in the east and if the Celtics fail to win against the Pacers or the Raptors then they become must wins. The Celtics have to find early success against the east before they face the more challenging teams from the west. Momentum and a cushion above .500 can make all the difference to a team that just one season ago was expected to tank.

If the Celtics go against the western teams under .500 then the Nets and 76ers will not be enough to get them on track and if Danny Ainge gets restless there may be a repeat of the trade frenzy from a season ago. Ainge has never hidden the fact that he wants a transcendent player on the team and if the team is struggling then everyone will once against have to worry about their status on the team.

The Celtics have a great opportunity to establish themselves in the east early on and the way they open the first 11 games of the season could drastically change the outlook and front office mentality the rest of the way.

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