Boston Celtics: Depth Key to Consistency

Boston’s bench is showing the league how important they will be to the Celtics, and how much more dangerous they make them

The Boston Celtics have been playing their best overall basketball of the season after the All Star break, and it has been with some lacking performances from their best players.

Al Horford has not quite been himself, and Kyrie Irving was also not himself against the Rockets, and was sitting on the bench for the Bulls. When you look at this success, there is no individual you can look to, and they are getting contributions from everyone any time they need it.

The Celtics are watching players grow up on the court over this stretch, with a bench that everyone in the league should be scared of. The Celtics are showing the league how hard it is to beat them when they get their bench going, and everyone’s has been stepping up over these last games.

We have long known what we can expect from the top players on this team, but we have also seen how impossible it is for them to carry this squad by themselves. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have tremendous potential to change this team come playoffs, but it would be unfair to expect more than what they have been giving all season.

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There have been multiple stretches where Irving and Horford have been brilliant, but the team does not come together. The Celtics have struggled to play with consistency all season long, but we now know that the top players can only be so responsible. The Celtics need their depth to play with consistency, and when they can trust every player coming off the bench, things come together in a special way.

We have always known that the Celtics have interesting pieces on their bench with a lot of potential. The problem is all we had seen this season is them taking turns showing that potential. Now, these pieces are coming together, and are giving the Celtics one of the most dynamic groups in the NBA.

The thing that makes this group so special is how many different kinds of weapons they have. Marcus Smart might be the most versatile defender in the league, and is learning to run to run a high functioning offense without becoming a liability by jacking up shots. Terry Rozier is showing the league how much damage can be done as one of the more athletic guards in the league. Rozier brings a spark any time he sees the court, and is having the kind of two way impact you rarely see off the bench.

The bigs make them even more interesting. Marcus Morris is out there creating offense every time he touches the ball, and we are starting to see those efficiency numbers climb. Daniel Theis has already shown that he is starter quality, and is the kind of three and D role player that every team in the league wants. Then they can throw Greg Monroe at you, giving the Celtics an option that can bully teams in the paint and hold it together on defense.

Boston has a bench made up of players who all do completely different things, but Stevens has found a way to make sure they are valuable on both ends. It took some time, but this is the first time all these players are coming together as a unit. They are no longer performing as individuals and there may not be a team in the league who has a second unit that can match how much they can do.

The Celtics obviously need their top players to be at their best, and them stepping up will be the most important thing in the playoffs and against the league’s top talent. Right now, however, we now know this depth is how the Celtics can play consistently enough to fight for that top seed.

With a bench like this, the Celtics do not have to worry about the lesser teams, because their impact alone is enough to win. Against top teams, the less that is needed from Irving and Horford the better, and if they are getting help they will be in a much better position to always be at their best, and be more effective when they are needed to carry things.

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The Celtics still need to prove they can maintain this, but it is abundantly clear that the Celtics will not play with consistency unless their depth is able to come together and perform they way they have since the All Star break.

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