Boston Celtics Face Biggest Test of Season Against Spurs

The Boston Celtics will put their four game winning streak on the line against the Spurs

The Boston Celtics have recovered from their miserable start to the season, and have put together four straight wins, some coming against quality playoff expected opponents. Unfortunately, it ill still be a lot harder to get that fifth straight win, even if the San Antonio Spurs do not have Kawhi Leonard.

Gregg Popovich is doing his usual thing and winning games no matter who is on the court. The Spurs are winning the same way they always win, defense, and that could be a lot of trouble for a Celtics offense that has struggled this season.

The Celtics have been great on defense, but it is always dangerous to think you can beat the Spurs by getting an advantage on that end.

This is not going to be the game the Celtics somehow figure everything out on offense, because the Spurs make this impossible. That could lead to players forcing things even more, and that is how things can get way too ugly.

More from Hardwood Houdini

The Celtics will not have many mistakes to take advantage of, and it is a concern right now when their top defense might not be enough to win games. The Celtics have individual players that can be trusted to score when it is needed, but their overall offense is still not trusted to consistently win games for them.

This is the kind of game that the Celtics need to find a way to keep close, then give themselves a chance at the end. Kyrie Irving is not going to do everything all game long, but we know the kind of damage he can inflict when the game is close down the stretch.

It is absolutely vital that the Celtics play mistake free ball, and have a lot of discipline on defense. The Spurs will always have good ball movement, and individual defense is never enough against them.

The Celtics have the kind of defense that should be able to handle the Spurs, but all that will do is keep the game close.

Maybe the Celtics will have that magical offensive performance, it is just far too unlikely to expect it against a team doing as well as the Spurs, who are winning with almost only defense.

The Spurs will also be a big test for the depth of the Celtics. The Spurs are great at getting effective minutes from their bench, and the Celtics are far too young to trust right now.

The second unit is not going to be able to function as well as the Spurs are in this game, and they may have to lean on one or two players to try and carry the load and hold things together.

The Spurs present a lot of problems for any team in the NBA, and the Celtics simply have not been good enough this season to beat a team of their caliber.

The four game win streak is phenomenal, but everyone can tell that the Celtics are far from their best, and have a lot of things that they need to work on.

The best matchup of this game might actually be the two coaches. The problem is that the Spurs have a much clearer idea of what they need to do to be at their best.

The Celtics are going through a rough transition, and it sounds impossible to have an adequate game plan for a team as sound as the Spurs in every way.

Next: Tatum More surprising on O or D?

This will be the biggest test for the Celtics this season, so it is nice that it is coming when they are looking their best. The Celtics are gradually proving that they can still win basketball games, and a victory against the Spurs would go a long way in how this team is perceived.

Home/Celtics News