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The Future Has Never Looked Better for the Boston Celtics

By Joshua Bateman

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 24: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics and Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics warmup before the game against the LA Clippers on January 24, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 24: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics and Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics warmup before the game against the LA Clippers on January 24, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The young players are getting their opportunities with so may injuries, and the future have never looked better for the Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are dealing with the kind of injuries that would send any team into a free fall. The Warriors are dealing with their own troubles with their All Stars and MVPs missing time, but they have dripped way below the Rockets, and the Raptors have even surpassed them in the standings.

The Celtics are missing all their significant and developed talent, their leaders and their veterans. Brad Stevens has been forced to put the team in the hands of the youngest players, and they have responded in the most spectacular way, putting together one of the most impressive five game winning streaks we have ever seen.

The Celtics have always had an interesting balance of winning now and building for the future. When this season started, Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were all about the future. They were gonna have roles that might be limited, because the team wanted to see what their new big three of Gordon Hayward, Kyrie Irving and Al Horford could do right now.

It did not take long for Hayward to go out, Irving followed well down the line, and now they can’t even count on Horford being out there. This team is entirely in the hands of the young players, and every single one of them is stepping up in a special way.

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People already knew that Brown and Tatum were going to be special players for Boston, but it was never supposed to happen this quick. During this stretch, the two of them look like they are already more than capable of averaging over 20 points per game, and Rozier has turned into one of the most consistent offensive presences on the entire roster, both as a scorer and a distributor.

People already thought the Celtics had one of the brightest futures in the NBA. With the way these three have showed up with these injuries, it is hard to make the case that any team has a brighter future than them anymore.

These young players are already capable of beating established NBA starters, and they are just touching the surface of their potential. The injuries have been terrible to endure this season, but it has opened the door for everyone to see how good these young players are.

Brad Stevens is putting them in an ideal position to succeed, which is masterful considering how many moving pieces there are. Stevens understands how these players can be successful now, and is making sure that they are always in a good position.

The most amazing thing is still what these guys are doing with the opportunities. They are not scared to be prolific number one scoring options, they will take on the most daunting defensive tasks, and often succeed, and each and every one of them has taken their turn hitting the clutch shots that win games.

The Celtics are beating established playoff teams with a roster that looks like it should be contending for that top lottery spot. The way these young players have already actualized their talent then makes everyone wonder how much better they can get.

People thought they were going to have to wait at least one season before seeing this version of Rozier, Brown and Tatum. With them already reaching this point, it immediately increases their ceiling and floor for the future. Keep in mind this is for two players who already had the ceiling of perennial All Stars.

We still have to see if these players can keep it up, but there is no doubting the young talent in Boston anymore. They have worked effective in low volume in a great Stevens system with great pieces around them. And now they have taken over and lead the team as primary options on both ends.

The Celtics still have work to do before they can be considered true title contenders, but if you add this kind of young talent to that big three that will be healthy next season, and the Celtics should not have to worry about not having enough talent to beat anyone for much longer.

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Keep in mind, both Hayward and Irving are young enough to still be in their primes for the majority of Brown and Tatum’s prime, and it may be coming a year later, but they still have a potential top lottery pick that could come their way since they will not be getting the Lakers pick this season.

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