Don’t Call This Season a Success

The Celtics were one of the most surprising teams in the NBA this season, but it wasn’t a success

After improving their record by eight games this season, the Boston Celtics got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs, again. Boston was able to take two games from the Atlanta Hawks this year, after getting swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers a year ago.

They were without their starting shooting guard Avery Bradley and key players like Jae Crowder and Kelly Olynyk weren’t 100 percent. Injuries played a factor in their loss, however, the Hawks were also the better team.

The Celtics ranked fifth in the NBA and led the Eastern Conference in points per game during the regular season. They were also top-ten in rebounds, assists and steals per game. Defensively, Boston was in the upper half of the league in field-goal percentage defense and opponents points per game.

As you can see, throughout the season Boston proved to be one of the best offensive teams in the NBA, as well as being able to defend late. They had a lot of big wins, such as their buzzer-beater over the Cavaliers or ending the Golden State Warriors‘ historic home-winning streak.

Individually, Isaiah Thomas made his first career All-Star appearance. Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley both put together career-years as they showed their dominance on both ends of the floor. Marcus Smart, despite the flopping chants, has become one of the best defensive guards in the league.

Even veterans like Evan Turner were able to turn their career around and he became a prime candidate for Sixth Man of the Year. The Celtics’ rookies didn’t get a lot of playing time, but Terry Rozier flashed signs of the player he could become, in a couple of years, during the Celtics playoff series with the Hawks.

Brad Stevens was able to work his magic and took a team, many people didn’t see as any sort of threat, to the playoffs as the fifth seed, nearly clinching home-court in the first round. The question now looms, was this a successful season for the Boston Celtics?

No.

A successful season is simple. It would mean that Boston would still be playing and preparing for their Game 1 matchup against the Cavaliers. It would mean that the Celtics would have won the last game of the season and then next year they would be raising banner number 18 to the rafters. Instead, Boston is already on vacation, deciding whether they’ll bring back Evan Turner.

The season the Celtics had was far from a disappointment or disaster, however, it was also not a success. If anything, it was progress towards the ultimate goal.

The Celtics came into the season as a young team who has a bright future, still searching for a star. Now, they found a star in Isaiah Thomas but need another star to become a serious contender. They’re no longer creeping up on teams and surprising teams with their play, they’re considered one of the better teams in the East and a team that could have made noise in the playoffs.

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With the Celtics play this season, a lot of possibilities opened up for Danny Ainge. The Brooklyn Nets‘ pick has become expendable and Boston has become a destination top-tier free agents will look at seriously again.

Opposed to last year at this time, Boston’s future is a lot more clear and bright. They know what they have in key players and it seems like Terry Rozier should become a solid reserve guard if he continues to develop in the off-season. Danny Ainge once again proved his GM brilliance by building a team with team-friendly contracts and not sacrificing their future by making a bad trade at the deadline.

Next: Evaluating Boston's Roster Moves

The Boston Celtics exited the playoffs a lot sooner than anyone would have hoped; that doesn’t make it a failure though. But calling their season a success is taking away from the big picture and what Danny Ainge is trying to accomplish. Nothing else matters if you don’t win the last game of the season, but when the Celtics do, then it can be considered a successful season.