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Boston Celtics: London Rest Paying Off

By Joshua Bateman

BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 27: Al Horford #42 and Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics low five during the game against the Detroit Pistons at TD Garden on November 27, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 27: Al Horford #42 and Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics low five during the game against the Detroit Pistons at TD Garden on November 27, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) /
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The Boston Celtics are going to be at full strength when they play the 76ers in London

The Boston Celtics have been dealing with an array of injuries to almost every single player on the roster this season. Gordon Hayward is the only one to suffer long term damage, but there has not been any significant stretch where the rest of the team is fully healthy. Al Horford was the most recent one, missing their last game, and Marcus Morris has been all over the place all season long.

The Celtics knew they would have little hope to get everyone at 100 percent during their cluttered schedule in December, but now that they get their crazy stretch with ridiculous amounts of down time, they are not going to have any player dealing with any injuries, beyond Hayward.

Horford is planning to play against the Philadelphia 76ers in London, and Morris is finally going to be off the minute restrictions that have held him back for this entire season (Via Keith Smith).

The Celtics knew that this London stretch was going to be valuable to the team. When we saw what a disaster they continually were on the court without rest or practice time, it was easy to realize how important this stretch was going to be.

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Who knows if Horford would have recovered quickly enough to return if there had been a regularly scheduled game after their Nets win. Who knows if Morris would have been taken off minute restrictions if his body was worn down that little bit more without this extended break.

The Celtics had their opportunity to regroup, and figure out how to start playing defense again, and they have won six straight games. The break may have stolen some of their momentum, but this is going to be the best position this roster has been in since Hayward went down with his injury.

The Celtics are completely healthy, they are going to be the freshest team in the league, and they can start really settling the rotation for their final playoff push. The Celtics still have chemistry and identity issues to work through with such a new roster. They have young players whose roles need to be more defined, and they have never been in a better position to get everyone on the same page.

You cannot expect any team to stay fully healthy for any extended stretch, so the Celtics need to make sure that they do everything in their power to take advantage of this opportunity. They just barely escaped the downside of asking for this extra rest before and after the London game, so they need to make sure they get all the possible rewards from this break.

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Getting Horford back in the lineup and finally taking away Morris’ restrictions is the first real advantage we are seeing from this break, but the actual test will be how much better they can get on the court.

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