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Boston Celtics Cannot Take Talent For Granted

By Joshua Bateman

CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 17: Al Horford #42, Jayson Tatum #0, Marcus Smart #36, Jaylen Brown #7 and Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 17, 2017 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 17: Al Horford #42, Jayson Tatum #0, Marcus Smart #36, Jaylen Brown #7 and Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 17, 2017 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Boston Celtics need to get back to being the hardest working team on the court

For the first time in the Brad Stevens era, the Boston Celtics have some of the most elite talent in the NBA. They got the top free agent target in Gordon Hayward, and traded for the transcendent talent in Kyrie Irving.

The Celtics went into this season with very real aspirations, and it is because of the talent that Danny Ainge put in the hands of Brad Stevens. When Hayward went down during the first game of the season, the perception of this team changed.

Without Hayward, most questioned whether they had that elite talent to really stand a chance against LeBron James. Then that team went on a 16 game winning streak with almost every other significant player suffering an injury at some point, and all of a sudden they were contenders in the East, with some of the best talent in the NBA.

There are always the ups and downs, and no team ever stays at their best all season long. But maybe being able to win each and every night no matter what the obstacle, and pulling through with incredible clutch performances on a nightly basis changed the mentality of the team a bit.

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The Celtics were not consistently blowing teams out at any point this season, but after Hayward went down each and every player was making sure they were doing every little thing to prove that they were still contenders.

Now, it feels like the team is taking things for granted, and not doing as many of the things that will allow them to win. They have been the best clutch team in the NBA this season, but if the mentality is that they can just get to clutch time and win every time, they are going to continue losing games.

It is always difficult to tell exactly what goes into these kinds of stretches, but if this team gets back to that scrappy fighting mentality that made this franchise overachieve before they had their talent, then they will get back to winning games.

The Celtics have proven that they do not need need to be a dominant shooting team to win, but they have proven that they can lean on their shooting to win. They can overcome unbalanced performances and inconsistent play, but only if they are embracing that mentality that brought out the 16 game win streak.

The Celtics need to get back to proving people wrong, because losing like that to the Heat without their three best players will put doubt in the minds of a lot of people. The Celtics know they have the talent but they need to play as if they do not have the talent.

The Celtics need to get back to playing that tough defense that made sure no team was able to get comfortable, and if their defense is helping their offense, they will have no problem on that end.

The Celtics know they are capable of bouncing back from this slump, and it could make all the difference in the world to finally get back into the practice facility. The problem is that it is not just going to happen overnight. The Celtics need to make the adjustment, and they need to start making more plays and staying more focused for an entire game.

The Celtics have not been dominating the fourth this month the way they did at the start of the season, so they need to make sure they are doing more in those first three quarters. It gives the fans a lot more excitement to see every game stay close, with a great finish one way or another.

The fans see how special this team can be in the clutch, and it has made so many games such a thrill to watch this season. If the Celtics can maintain that mentality earlier on in the game, then they will not be forced to win every game in the most difficult manner.

Next: Tatum Survives Injury Scare

The Celtics can make these games a lot easier on themselves, and  that will always start with the defensive effort. The Celtics know that the defense is now going to be key to getting the balance that will show their real potential. Until that defense comes back, however, it is clear that the Celtics need to be the hardest working team in order to be confident in their ability to win.

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