The Celtics hit the All-Star break playing some of their best basketball of the season, an unexpected feel-good vibe for a team that has fallen well short of their own expectations or those among their fanbase.
But don’t be fooled.
While Boston’s fortunes have certainly improved with four straight wins, the tone is one of cautious optimism among the players, coaches, and the man who brought this team together, Danny Ainge.
Ainge can’t ignore the team’s recent run of success, which has them going into the break with a 19-17 record and the longest current winning streak in the East. That's good enough to have them occupy the fourth-place spot in the standings.
But in that same breath, Ainge has been around the game long enough to know he can’t completely dismiss the struggles that haven’t cost them games of late but are nonetheless still present.
So how does Ainge approach this all-important stretch leading up to the March 25 trade deadline?
Despite the team’s recent run of success, change of some sort is still in order.
But the challenge for Ainge is discerning whether that change can come about internally, or externally via trade.
“The players and coaches have to prepare themselves to go out and win the next game and the game after that,” Ainge told BostonSportsJournal.com. “It’s my job to allow that to happen and at the same time, have a bigger picture perspective as well. So, I have to live in the moment and in the future. And manage the salary cap, and the here and now, and future roster opportunities.”
Ainge doesn’t speak specifically about potential trade targets, but Boston is reportedly interested in a potential deal that would net them Orlando center Nikola Vucevic or Detroit forward Jeremy Grant.
Who's the more likely to land in Boston?
League sources tell BostonSportsJournal.com that the 30-year-old Vucevic is the more likely of the two who could make his way to Boston.
Adding Vucevic — or any player for that matter — would seemingly appease Celtics fans who are desperate for some kind of roster shake-up on Ainge’s part, even with the team riding one of its longest winning streaks of the season.
Ainge has spent the better part of the season not only evaluating talent across the league but also keeping a watchful eye on his own players.
“I need our players to step up,” Ainge acknowledged before adding, “I have to look at the big picture and the current picture to see if we can do anything to help our team be better.”
Vucevic to Boston?
As mentioned earlier, Vucevic of Orlando is among the players talked about as being a target of the Celtics. Two league sources told BostonSportsJournal.com the Magic, as well as the Detroit Pistons, are two teams whose rosters for the most part when it comes to potential trades, “are open for business.”
While not speaking of any team specifically, Ainge has acknowledged he has had various levels of discussions with teams about potential trades, talks he anticipates will likely continue as we get closer to the March 25 trade deadline.
However, the NBA’s new playoff format includes play-in games that allow teams that finish ninth and 10th in their respective conferences, an opportunity to play their way into the postseason with a mini-playoff tourney.
And that certainly will have an impact on how willing teams on what will be the “new normal” playoff bubble, will be open to making deals.
“There’s so many teams involved in the playoffs,” Ainge said. “So, we’ll have to wait and see. But I’m evaluating my own team, my own players and at the same time watching the rest of the league and how they’re doing. We’re having conversations like always, this time of year.”
When asked about the likelihood of a Celtics trade between now and the deadline, Ainge responded, “Trades are hard to make. We’ll see if there’s something there that fits.”
Brown: Focus on staying healthy for a strong finish to the season
A Boston Celtics player gears up for the All-Star game but goes in with some knee soreness.
Sounds familiar?
That was Kemba Walker last season who suffered additional soreness after participating in the All-Star game and wasn’t quite the same player for the rest of the season or in the playoffs.
Celtics fans are hoping that’s a lesson learned for Jaylen Brown who will be making his All-Star debut this weekend and like Walker, comes into the game with some knee soreness.
“Our most important focus is making a push, making a run, and playing in the playoffs, deep into the playoffs; that’s what my focus has been,” he said. “I like to be on winning teams. To add to winning, sometimes you have to make sacrifices.”
In addition to the All-Star game, Brown will participate in the 3-point shooting contest while taking a pass on joining the dunk competition.
“For me, being in the dunk contest wasn’t the best decision for me and my body at the time,” Brown said.
Brown added, “My eyes are down the stretch and getting 100 percent healthy, which I haven’t been for a while and trying to continue to get better. So, when it comes time for my team to need me, I’m there and 100 percent.”
This season, Brown has averaged career highs in just about every significant statistical category such as scoring (24.7 points), assists (3.9), and field goal percentage (.495).
Time Lord’s Time … is now
The potential for Robert Williams III to be a major impact player has been there for years. But not until this season, have we seen it on a relatively consistent basis. But we’re seeing it in small to mid-size doses, prompting many in Celtics nation – and in the national media - to want more time for Time Lord.
NBA analyst Doris Burke was a guest on CLNS Media’s The A-List Podcast and like many in the basketball community these days, she too was praising the play and potential of Williams.
Slowly but surely, Williams is indeed gaining the trust of the coaching staff to play longer, more extended minutes.
This season, Williams has played 20 or more minutes in seven games with this happening in three of Boston’s last four games played.
“He’s just improving every single day and he’s huge for our team,” said Kemba Walker. “He’s been amazing to watch; he’s been amazing to be on the court with.”
Brad Stevens echoed similar sentiments.
“He’s on a great trajectory; really helping us,” Stevens said. “One of the things about Rob that sometimes does not get talked about enough is that he’s a competitor. He wants to win, he plays hard, goes after rebounds, and he’s learning how to take advantage of what he does best at both ends of the floor.”
And that’s leading to him being on the floor when it matters most – in the fourth quarter.
During Boston’s four-game winning streak, Williams is the team’s top fourth-quarter rebounder (3.0 per game) while shooting 83.3 percent from the field in the fourth which is tops among all Celtics players to appear in each of the last four games.
“Being on the floor in crunch time really is a major learning situation for me,” Williams said. “I obviously want to make the right decisions but the more I’m out there, the more comfortable I get.”
Fourth Quarter Food for Thought
One of the biggest reasons the Celtics have been able to walk away with wins in each of their last four games has been their fourth-quarter execution.
In the fourth quarter of Boston’s last four games, consider these stats and where they rank in the NBA during this span:
- Field goal percentage (.586, tops in the NBA the last four games)
- Free throws made (7.0, second in the NBA the last four games)
- Free throws attempted (9.3, fourth in the NBA the last four games)
- Opponent Points In The Paint (39.0, tops in the NBA the last four games)
- Opponent Fast-Break Points (8.8, fourth in the NBA the last four games)
