As All-Star weekend comes to a close, this Boston Celtics fan had fun watching the events that transpired during the weekend. From the skills competition to the game itself, it was another successful weekend for the NBA, this year in Cleveland.
While we all watched KAT win the three-point contest in honor of his mother and Obi Toppin win the slam dunk contest, I couldn’t help but get antsy for the All-Star game itself for one reason and one reason only.
Jayson Tatum was going to be playing basketball again.
While he only had eight points, he also posted five assists and four rebounds.
This performance reminded me that Tatum doesn’t need to constantly score in order to contribute for his team.
Following the All-Star break, the young Celtics team will be nicely rested, especially the young wing, Jaylen Brown.
Another player that is getting much-needed rest is Marcus Smart. He suffered a lower leg injury in the game against Philadelphia, causing him to miss the game against Detroit the following day. The C’s ended up losing this game and showed signs of their old mistakes, which was concerning, but I really think they were officially checked out for break while Detroit was ready to play.
As much as I love All-Star weekend, I can’t wait to get back to watching Boston Celtics basketball. I’m excited for many reasons, but I’m going to tell you three things that I am especially looking forward to following this brief break in the midst of a hard-fought season.
Reason for excitement No. 1) The Boston Celtics could stay hot
Prior to the All-Star break, Boston was one of the hottest teams in the league, winning 11 of their last 13 games. When the calendar year hit 2022, the C’s became one of the best teams in the league.
Since 2022 started, Boston is fourth in win percentage with a .708 win percentage and first in +/- with a +12.
After the conclusion of the All-Star break, the Celtics will start the second half of their season with a tough 11 game stretch. During these games, six of the teams they’ll face currently rank in the top ten in regards to offenses in the league.
Luckily, the Boston defense currently ranks second in the association with a defensive rating of 104.9, just slightly behind Golden State.
Their first matchup post-break will be against a new-look Brooklyn team. Last time they played each other, Brooklyn had a depleted lineup and Boston took advantage early, soundly defeating them 126-91.
Following the Brooklyn game, Boston won’t play another team that’s over .500 until they met up with the 41-19 Memphis Grizzlies team, led by All-Star Ja Morant. This will be the first time these two teams meet this season.
If Boston can scrape together a couple of tough wins during this stretch, they’ll be in a good position to make a run for the one seed in the east, considering they have the third easiest schedule in regards to opposing offenses.
Their last five games of the season will be against teams who don’t rank any better than 23rd in regards to offensive efficiency.
Reason for excitement No. 2) The return of Marcus Smart
Marcus Smart went down with a tough ankle sprain against the Philadelphia 76ers. He had to be carried off and it looked like it was a pretty bad injury, but Ime Udoka said he didn’t expect Smart to be out for a long time.
With their point guard out against Detroit, Boston looked like they did earlier in the season. There were dumb turnovers, isolation-ball instead of team-ball, and they just didn’t look like they were clicking against a young and not very good Pistons team.
Thanks to the All-Star break, Smart has had more time to focus on the rehabilitation of his ankle.
It’s unclear when he’ll come back for sure, but when he does, I’m hoping for another immediate impact, kind of the same way when he came back from his stint with COVID.
With a clear point guard running their offense, Boston won’t need to resort to the isolation play that plagued them for so long. They’ll have someone to really run the offense, and to be the main anchor on the defensive side of the ball.
With Derrick White beside him, the Boston backcourt is one of the best, in regards to offense. I’m excited for Smart to come back 100% healed and ready to finish the second half of the season strong.
Reason for excitement No. 3) The Jays
Trade Jaylen Brown! Trade Jayson Tatum!
The words that have been all around Boston media for months, even years.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown may be the best duo that’s under 25 years old. While many people have wanted to split up the duo, Boston has made it clear that they are not going to trade either of the young stars.
In a recent podcast with JJ Reddick, Tatum said, “There’s not a lot of guys in the NBA like JB… I couldn’t imagine why you wouldn’t wanna have two of the best players under 25 on your team.”
This quote really solidifies that the duo is ready to continue taking on adversity and growing as a group, rather than individuals.
Since both players have been on the team, they’ve done nothing but succeed. Jaylen Brown has been to three Eastern Conference finals and Jayson Tatum has been to two. Both have even been selected as All-Stars.
The Jays are both having career years, and even though Jaylen Brown wasn’t selected as an All-Star, they have both been playing like some.
I mentioned earlier that the All-Star break would be beneficial to Marcus Smart to rehab his ankle, but I also think it will be equally as beneficial for Jaylen Brown as he gets some much-needed rest as he gets ready to gear up for the second half of the season and playoffs.