With the 2020 NBA All-Star game now behind us, the Boston Celtics need their All-Stars to continue their high level of play for the final stretch of the season.
Another year, another All-Star game is in the books. For some teams, they had no players representing them in the exhibition. For the Boston Celtics, they had two.
All season long both Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum have played lights-out for the C’s. Together they have managed to guide Boston to the league’s fifth best record of 38-16, have put up scoring averages of over 20 points and have the team looking to make their sixth straight postseason.
Because of their successes and accomplishments Walker and Tatum were bestowed the honor of being named NBA All-Stars (Walker’s fourth and Tatum’s first). Up to this point, the stakes — though every game should be seen as important — have been relatively low. Now, during this final stretch-run before the playoffs, the team needs to keep their foot on the gas in their quest to attain banner number 18.
A major key to doing this is to have their team’s best players continue to play at this high of a level.
For the remaining 2+ months the Boston Celtics will be tipping off in 28 more contests. Of those 28 games, 18 of them will be against teams that are either playoff locks or still in the hunt to reach the game’s second season. Competition will prove to be fierce during this final stretch run, which means the team’s best players need to keep up their pre-All-Star Weekend level of play if they wish to hold onto their home-court advantage placement in the standings.
When the stakes are at their highest the greats tend to find ways of stepping up. If the Boston Celtics wish to end their regular season on a high note, they need their top-players to prove they can continue their level of play or, even better, step it up as well.