The Boston Celtics Need Health as the Trade Deadline Passes

Feb 16, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) and Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson (22) scramble for the ball during the second half at the United Center. Chicago won 104-103. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 16, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) and Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson (22) scramble for the ball during the second half at the United Center. Chicago won 104-103. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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As the Celtics return to action after a quiet trade deadline, all Boston can hope for is to stay healthy.

For this year’s trade deadline, rumors were swirling around the Boston Celtics. Jimmy Butler, Paul George, and Andre Drummond were the big name players that Boston was linked to, but ultimately there wasn’t a deal with any team.

In terms of trades, the Celtics didn’t do anything to improve their roster. Hopefully, if there is one thing that Boston acquired for the rest of the season, it’s health.

The Celtics are 37-20, which has them sitting in second place in the eastern conference. The exciting news surrounding their great record is that they’ve only had a healthy roster for about 20 games this year, and the Celtics have still not played to their full potential yet.

Danny Ainge told reporters yesterday that, “we won’t put a ceiling on this team, but we haven’t seen the best of this team, I’m confident.”

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Starting shooting guard Avery Bradley missed 20 of Boston’s last 21 games, and inserting him back into the starting lineup should propel the Celtics towards the #1 seed in the east. Cleveland has lost Kevin Love for at least six weeks, and if they’re smart, they will rest LeBron James for their playoff run. This should open a window for the Celtics to secure home court advantage over the defending champs.

Bradley’s return to the starting lineup will push Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown, two key contributors during Bradley’s absence, into the second unit. Brown and Smart’s experience playing big minutes should turn Boston’s bench into one of the best units in the NBA.

Staying healthy is important for Boston to make it to the eastern conference finals. The Celtics do not have a lot of star power in their starting lineup like Cleveland and Toronto, but Boston can beat both of those teams because of their depth. If the Celtics can’t stay healthy, it will be very difficult to compete with better teams in the playoffs.

Even though Danny Ainge didn’t pull off the blockbuster deal for George, the Celtics can still improve this season by staying healthy. For those who really wanted to make a big deal, worry not. Once draft night arrives, and the Celtics have the #1 overall pick, I’d anticipate Indiana or Chicago calling Ainge instead of the other way around. Then, the Celtics can finally get the superstar they’ve been waiting for at a nice, cheap price.

Next: Isaiah Thomas on Pace for Greatest Scoring Season in Celtics History

The Celtics return to action tonight in Toronto to take on the new and improved Raptors. It should be a great game, since both teams will look to get a head start on the last 25 games of the season.