Since Feb. 2, the four teams with the most wins: 1. Warriors (27-7) 2. Spurs (24-8) 3. Cavs (22-8) 4. Celtics (21-12)

— Jay King (@ByJayKing) April 11, 2015

You can toss out all the caveats you want to mitigate what the Celtics have done over two-plus months, but the final numbers are what they are. The Celtics have been almost as successful as the Cavs over that stretch, and right there with the best teams in the NBA.

Of course this doesn’t mean the Celtics are as good as any of these teams. We’ve seen them go head-to-head against those teams and get smoked. But that doesn’t diminish the accomplishments of Brad Stevens and his team.  They have come together in a very big way.

Off the court, camaraderie is overflowing. The brief flight from postgame Detroit to Cleveland was a celebratory voyage, as players sang along to classic Michael Jackson tunes while the team plane was touched down in Ohio.

The road has been good to the Celtics, and that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the players.

“Just bonding together as a team. It’s us against everyone else and that’s the mindset we have,” Smart said. “We try to let that motivate us.”

[…] “I think it was that first game back from All-Star,” Bradley said. “Even though we lost, you could see the energy. You could see everybody’s positive attitudes, how they wanted to change the season around. We actually sat down and told each other we needed to look at ourselves in the mirror and think about where we want to take this season.”

I’ve said it a bunch before so I won’t belabor the point… The aftermath of the Celtics trade spree gave the Celtics not only a bunch of players with specific skills that complemented each other, it gave almost everyone a regular role which they could expect to play every night.

Brad Stevens has used his players in a way that works like no one would have expected. Even as numbers have shown the starters weren’t great, he stuck with the plan and has been rewarded with victory after victory and, quite possibly, a spot in the playoffs.

I don’t care how much Green you bleed, the fact that the Celtics are a 7 seed with 3 games left is just mind-blowing.

Three more regular season games against teams who may just be happy to coast into their playoff series without taxing their starters. The Celtics control their own destiny. And they seem happy to do so.

Page 2: Brad Stevens thinks Isaiah Thomas is the 6th Man of the Year

“I can’t imagine somebody impacted their team — whether he’s in Phoenix or here — more,” Stevens said. “There’s no question about that.”

[…] Thomas was touched to hear that Stevens vouched for him and said he hoped his coach’s word would resonate. Thomas has made it clear that he would like to be a starter, but said that earning the sixth man honor would be meaningful.

“While I’m in this position for however long, why not be the best at it?” Thomas said. “If I was starting, I’d want to be the best point guard in the NBA. But coming off the bench, why not get that award and be the best player there is?”

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Whether Thomas should or shouldn’t start is actually a good debate. But it’s a debate for next season, really, because this season’s success has come with Thomas providing a spark off the bench early, and then being part of the finishing 5. And really, as a player, being on the floor as the closer is so much more important.

But, guys want to start because it has a certain cache’… bench players are supposed to be worse than the starters. That’s why they’re on the bench.

But one thing the Spurs have taught us is that’s not true. And it takes a selfless guy like Manu Ginobili to put personal pride aside and do what’s best for the team. It’s happening right now in Boston with Thomas, and he’s owning the role in a big way.

Thomas is CLEARLY the Celtics best offensive weapon. But the way Stevens is using him works, so why stop it now?

I think the way the Celtics are finishing the season, and how well Thomas is playing right now, will push him into the 6th man of the year lead.  I think he’ll take this award.

Related links:  Herald: Stevens picks Thomas for 6th man  |  WEEI: The case for Thomas 06th Man of the Year

And Finally…

Holy Andrew Wiggins…

The rest of the links:

Globe: Cavs try to balance rest with maintaining rhythm  | Celts win after Cavs call off big dogs in 4th  |  Herald: Celtics glad to stay 7th as Cavs get rest  |  CSNNE: Welsh on Celtics: “I think they’re fearless” |  Celtics still had to execute to beat resting Cavs  |  Smart didn’t hesitate to shoot vs Cavs  | ESPN Boston: No rest for Celtics in playoff push  |  WEEI: 5 things we learned as Celtics beat LeBron & Cavaliers  |  MassLive: LeBron likely to sit Sunday

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