Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
The defending champion Cavaliers dropped into a tie with Boston atop the Eastern Conference. Both teams have two regular-season games remaining. If the Cavs and Celtics finish with the same record, Cleveland will get the top seed for winning the season series.
The Hawks wiped out a 26-point deficit in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Cavs 44-18 in the period and forcing overtime on Millsap’s baseline jumper at the buzzer.
The Cleveland Cavaliers dominated the Celtics last week, and in the process, won back the NBA media while tapping into the inferiority complex of Boston local media. Since the all-star break, the Cavs have played mediocre basketball, but the blowout win at Boston confirmed their Eastern Conference supremacy.
Cleveland reminded us of their late season issues last night, blowing a 26-point lead against Atlanta, and in the process allowing the Celtics to tie them in the standings. They had a nine point lead with 2:00 and a four point lead at with 18 seconds remaining. Lebron got called for a five-second inbounds violation and Atlanta won a jump ball after Kent Bazemore swallowed up Kyrie Irving. Paul Milsap hit the game tying shot to force overtime, and the Hawks emerged victorious, setting up a Cleveland-Boston tie for first place.
The importance and lack of importance of the #1 seed has been well documented. It’s now back in play despite last week’s Cavs win. Both squads have two games remaining, with Boston playing Brooklyn and Milwaukee while Cleveland plays the Raptors and Heat. Advantage, Boston.
It doesn’t change the outlook for the playoffs, the Celtics will likely lose to the Cavs regardless of their seeding. Despite their win in Charlotte, the C’s performance has been shaky over the past few weeks, but with the one seed again in play, IT & company have new motivation for the final two games.
Related: NESN | MassLive | CSNNE
Page 2: Can We Trust the Celtics Bench?
In many crucial offensive categories the Celtics bench has performed below average. Their bench ranks 20th in scoring, 26th in three point percentage, and 27th in field goal percentage. It’s unfortunate that the Celtics do not have a go-to scorer off the bench as this would take some offensive pressure off the starters.
While teams are jockeying for the final playoff spots, the Celtics might have to square off against a very capable bench. The Miami Heat, led by Tyler Johnson and James Johnson, has one of most competitive benches in the league. Both of these players are in the mix for winning the Sixth Man of the Year Award.
Amongst five-man lineups with over 400 minutes of logged time, Boston’s starters rank seventh in net rating. Even more impressive, the Isaiah/Bradley/Crowder/Johnson/Horford group has played only 34 games together. During the team’s preseason inter-squad scrimmage way back in October, the chemistry of the starting five immediately jumped out, and this cohesion stayed in tact throughout the regular season, despite not having played together for more than half the games.
The bench is another story. The NBA’s “true contenders” have a veteran presence off the bench. Guys like Shaun Livingston, Deron Williams, Kyle Korver, Pau Gasol, and Patty Mills are all established NBA players who could start on weaker rosters.
The C’s first four off the bench — Smart, Olynyk, Brown, and Rozier — are all still on their rookie deals, as they’re all trying to develop their respective games while helping the team win. Gerald Green and Jonas Jerebko, both fringe rotation players, represent the bench’s veteran presence. It’s not common for top five teams to heavily rely on young players coming off the bench.
As the article mentions, Boston’s bench is 20th in offensive rating and 27th in field goal percentage. The Celtics roster might be deep with potential, but in playoff experience it’s quite thin. The issue has come to light in recent weeks, with the bench frequently giving up leads earned by the starters. Come playoff time (T-Minus 5 Days!) we’ll discover whether Danny Ainge made a mistake by not acquiring a veteran bench presence at the trade deadline.
Page 3: Expectations vs. Reality
In the end, the Celtics are clearly better both physically and spiritually with Horford than they were last year, which was the whole point of the signing. They have met, and even exceeded, expectations for this season.
All of that leads to a broader set of questions: How is it that we measure success in the NBA? What is the criteria we’re using? How is the worthiness of a season framed? These are trickier questions than you might imagine.
Another Rileyism holds that if you’re not in first place you’re in last. That may apply to the Golden States and Clevelands of the world, but it gets more complex the further down the list you go.
The Celtics are a prime example. They crossed the 50-win plateau for the first time in six years and will likely finish no lower than second in the Eastern Conference. Division titles are essentially meaningless, but passing the Raptors in the standings was a notable achievement.
There has been individual growth too, starting with Thomas, who is an All-NBA performer and possibly a top-five finisher in Most Valuable Player voting. Young veterans such as Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley, and Marcus Smart have thrived in their roles. They have received contributions from their younger set of players and even rookie Jaylen Brown has carved out a productive niche.
They have done all that while maintaining a clean cap sheet and all their assets, including what could be the top choice in this year’s draft. From a distance, the Celtics are in great shape both now and in the future.
So, why does all of this feel incomplete?
Certainly there are postseason expectations yet to be met. These Celtics haven’t won a playoff series in two tries and a third first-round exit would be, if not disastrous given their future viability, an abject disappointment. While they have been trending upward for three years, without a bevy of superstars on command they are no sure thing this spring.
Winning while having cap flexibility is rare. The 2016-2017 Celtics have a top-five record, near max cap space, and a guaranteed top-four pick, an unprecedented combination.
Top-tier NBA teams typically have high payrolls and few assets, and for good reason. Since the luxury tax was established in 1999, almost every championship team has payed the tax, and when/if the Celtics create a championship roster, Wyc Grousbeck will likely need to pay it (as he’s done before).
But the Celtics play in Boston, and fans aren’t interested in cap flexibility or assets, only championships. Fans mostly care about the product in front of them, and if that product is underperforming, other aspects of organizational success go unnoticed.
Despite the player development, year-to-year improvement, and collection of young players, the Celtics season will be viewed as a major disappointment if they cannot escape the first round. Brad Stevens will bear the brunt of the criticism. I can see a lot of “Stevens can’t win a playoff series” and “he’s just a regular season coach.” On Isaiah Thomas, the “you can’t win with your best player under six feet” haters will feel empowered.
Even if they lose in the second round, it would only be viewed as “meeting expectations.” Fans and media will criticize the team for being “stuck in the middle.” These factors make the playoffs all the more intriguing, and Paul Flannery’s article does a great job of outlining each of these factors.
The Rest of the Links:
Boston Globe: Jonas Jerebko Smells More Playing Time | Shaughnessy: ‘Miracle if C’s Make Conf. Finals’
ESPN Boston: Lottery Odds
CSNNE: Kelly Olynyk Takes Advantage of Start | 1st round tougher than 2nd | Stevens Under Most Pressure (video)
MassLive: C’s Big Lineup
Boston Herald: Most Dangerous 1st Round C’s Matchup | Bradley gets Shot of Confidence | Celtics Bidding Time Until Playoffs Begin
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
