A year ago, going 1-2 on a three-game road trip to Cleveland, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City would’ve been a tremendous disappointment. Boston Celtics fans would’ve been telling anyone who’d listen that the sky is falling.
This time around it’s #DifferentHere.
Is it a bit of a bummer that the Celtics failed to pick up either of the close games against the Spurs and Thunder? Sure, but there’s a greater feeling of positivity regarding how close Boston came to beating two of the NBA’s best teams, falling 125-116 and 104-102, respectively.
They could've easily walked into the snake pit and been eaten alive twice. Instead, they pushed two teams who are a combined 20-3 since the All-Star break to the brink. Boston proved that they can hang with the top dogs in a similar way to Rocky Balboa when he takes Apollo Creed the distance in their first meeting.
Being able to walk away from the pair of tough losses with silver linings and moral victories is a new (and probably temporary) reality for Celtics fans. The shift in expectations for this season due to significant roster turnover and having Jayson Tatum out for three quarters of it, enables fans to sit back and enjoy the ride a bit more -- something they haven’t been able to do in a while.
The consistent “championship or bust” outlook on Boston’s recent campaigns, while perhaps warranted, sucks the fun out of it. Eight months ago, no one would’ve thought the Celtics would be using March meetings with two Western Conference giants as measuring sticks games. They would’ve instead assumed that this would be a prime spot to add on some extra losses in a tanking effort.
The Celtics' depth is the gift that keeps on giving
Not only were there hopes of taking one or both, but the Cs came close despite missing key players in each outing.
Against San Antonio, they were already without Payton Pritchard when Jaylen Brown got himself ejected before halftime. Then, both Jayson Tatum and Derrick White sat out Thursday's matchup in OKC.
The absences opened the door for Boston’s depth pieces like Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, and Ron Harper Jr. to shine in extended opportunities. Gonzalez showed out Thursday with 11 points and five rebounds off the bench, as did Scheierman with 11 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Two days earlier Harper Jr. logged a career-high 22 points in the loss to the Spurs.
Fans are getting a look at players who can be real contributors on teams in years to come -- something all the more important in today’s league with the harsh CBA penalties. The aforementioned crew making a combined $5.6 million next season, with Harper Jr. likely getting a non-guaranteed deal sometime soon to fill one of Boston’s open roster spots through the end of the year.
That’s huge.
Not being championship favorites is a bittersweet reality
These first 66 games have shown that the Celtics are much closer to contention than anyone could’ve imagined when Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet, and Al Horford headed to new homes last summer. Their roster, as constructed, already has them amongst the league’s best with 16 games to play. Brad Stevens and the front office have hit on just about every player they’ve brought in. Gonzalez, Garza, and Harper Jr. embody the team-first mentality that runs throughout the organization.
Not to mention the commitment to improvement those three and the likes of Baylor Scheierman, Neemias Queta, and others have shown all season long.
Of course, there’s still the question of what the group’s ceiling with a reacclimated Tatum looks like. The star forward has looked good in his three appearances, but there’s a clear extra level for him to reach before he’s firing on all cylinders again.
At the end of the day, the Celtics aren’t championship favorites. That’s okay, though. They’re still just as fun to watch and extremely easy to root for given the underdog mentality woven throughout the roster. Also, just because they’re not favorites, doesn’t mean they’re not capable of reaching the mountaintop. It just makes it sweeter if they do.