It may have taken Brad Stevens 75 games to figure out the best course of action for the 2018-19 Boston Celtics, but it appears he has done just that in the final weeks of the regular season.
This group looked ripe for an uneventful second round exit just two Sundays ago, piling up four straight losses while defending like a lottery team in the midst of the slide. They had played mediocre basketball for two months and their post-All-Star record reflected it. Al Horford and Kyrie Irving were playing great basketball but no one else could be counted on to step up on a nightly basis, leaving a void of reliable secondary options on any given night. The small-ball offense wasn’t good enough to offset the defensive leaks and that resulted in a team that looked lost on their way to the regular season finish line.
Ultimately, the constant turmoil for this team may end up being a good thing since it forced Stevens' hand when it comes to lineups. The Celtics are 5-1 since transitioning to the new-look starting five with Horford and Aron Baynes manning the frontcourt and the team is actually 5-0 when Baynes/Horford start together (Irving and Horford rested for the lone loss in Brooklyn). Quality wins have piled up against the likes of the Heat and Pacers, with the more impressive ones coming on the road. While the Celtics haven’t always shot well or play complete games in these wins, they have still managed to find a way to pull out the ugly ones. More recently though, they have started to overcome their road demons and stopped wilting in the final stages of tough tests away from the Garden. Instead, they’ve spent their last two wins dominating games when it matters most against hungry teams.
The result? The Celtics look to be taking a page out of the Patriots playbook by righting the ship ahead of a very tough postseason draw. They certainly haven’t undone the damage of an underwhelming first 75 games of the season, but there is suddenly a lot to be optimistic about with this group on the heels of a 117-97 blowout win in Indiana on Friday night. Let’s take a closer look at a few of the more promising developments that could raise the ceiling for this group in the postseason.
1. Gordon Hayward looks like he’s in Utah again: We’ve been calling a while now for more minutes for the former All-Star here at BSJ and he’s making us look good for doing so. Hayward was the star for the second straight game on Friday night, making all nine of his field goal attempts to score 21 points, the first time a Celtic has had a perfect night with nine-plus shot attempts in 33 years. He did all his damage from inside the arc, expertly navigating the pick-and-roll against a top-five Pacers defense. His midrange and floater touch has appeared to return as he’s now shot above 50 percent from the field in five straight games and has now scored in double digits for seven straight. He’s made 12 straight field goals dating back to the fourth quarter of the Miami win. He’s shooting 54 percent from the field since the All-Star Break and the only concern the Celtics should have with his offensive game right now is making sure he gets enough looks at the rim on a nightly basis (he’s only averaging 7.9 per game in the second half of the year). The in-between game is where Hayward did most of his damage on a nightly basis in Utah and that’s where he is thriving now.
Look at Hayward initiating contact!! Progress!! pic.twitter.com/rrF5PicuaP
— Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) April 6, 2019
GH feeling comfortable in Indy? pic.twitter.com/2W45tnd0gG
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 6, 2019
NO MERCY pic.twitter.com/wEC396OdFe
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 6, 2019
count it ? pic.twitter.com/wxrDfAiqc4
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 6, 2019
BAYNES? pic.twitter.com/bxVqZojh2d
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 6, 2019
