3 weaknesses that could prevent Boston Celtics from reaching NBA Finals
By Mark Nilon
Boston Celtics weakness No. 2) Inability for players to stay on the floor
Though it’s certainly no one’s fault, one of the biggest weaknesses for this Boston Celtics team throughout their postseason run has been their inability to stay on the floor, particularly when it comes to two of their key contributors in Marcus Smart and, more drastically, Robert Williams III.
Combined, the two mainstays have missed a total of 10 games in the 2022 playoffs and, while they’ve only lost three of said outings, it’s rather evident that, without their full unit intact, the team doesn’t tend to shine as bright as they usually do when completely healthy.
In 15 games played thus far in the postseason, we’ve seen Boston roll out five different first-five lineups, and have only seen three games where their desired starting unit of Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and Robert Williams have played.
Consistency is always key when it comes to a championship-aspiring team’s rotation and, should Boston not be able to stay healthy moving forward, this will be a major hurdle for them to try and jump over, especially with Miami’s core likely being a full go heading into Wednesday’s exhibition.