The Celtics are approaching what they hope is their actual mid-way point of the season. If they were to win the championship and average six games per series, they’d play 106 games, which would make the Phoenix Suns game February 3 the actual halfway point.
Wherever it is, it’s coming soon here are a few thoughts about the team as they hope to get their winning streak to double digits.
- Streak in context
The Celtics are on their second nine-game winning streak of the season. Just for a little perspective, the 2008 championship team had long winning streaks of, in order, eight (the first eight of the season), nine, nine, 10, and seven on their way to a 66-win season. They mixed in a five and four gamer in there too. This year’s team also has five and four game streaks on its resume.
This year’s team has won .745 percent of their games so far this season, a 61-win pace, definitely above what most people would have imagined coming into this season.
And yet, it feels like this team can be even better than it is. They can move the ball better, they can defend better, and they certainly can shoot better. As good as they are, two games ahead of Denver for the best record in the league, they still have another level to reach.
- Holding off the competition
The Philadelphia 76ers started the season 12-12. If you believe in numerology, then you probably believe in some meaning behind a 12-loss team sitting in the eighth seed on December 8. Since then, they’ve gone 18-4 to climb all the way to second.
Boston is 14-7 over that same stretch, so the Sixers are probably feeling pretty confident about themselves. At the same time, Boston’s big streak has kept the Sixers at bay for a little while. I don’t want to look TOO far ahead on the schedule, but the Sixers visit on February 8. That could be a monster game in the standings.
The Sixers face Brooklyn and Denver next before seeing Orlando twice at home, and then San Antonio and New York on the road before visiting Boston. The Celtics have very winnable games coming up here against Orlando and Miami on this back-to-back, then the Knicks, Lakers, Nets, and Suns at home before a quick trip to Detroit. I’m not saying the streak will extend to 16 by then, but I wouldn’t be shocked if it did.
Watch out for the Sixers, though. They're getting their act together.
- Speaking of records, who could have called this:
Sacramento: 26-19, 3rd West
Golden State Warriors: 24-25, 10th West
OKC Thunder: 24-25, 10th West
I still think the Warriors will be fine. They're four games behind the Kings with plenty of time to make up ground. They can still be scary.
I’m more impressed by the Kings. I think bringing in Domantas Sabonis and Kevin Huerter helped balance out the roster really well, which makes my initial take on the Tyrese Haliburton deal a bit wrong. I thought that was a mistake, and it’s still a hell of a price to pay, but the overall roster construction makes more sense now. That's a fun team.
And those games against the Thunder don’t look nearly as bad as they did at the time … okay no that loss was still horrible, I take it back. The way they lost was embarrassing, but THAT they lost is a lot less surprising.
- Speaking of which, the loss in OKC may be a huge turning point
The Celtics haven't lost since then, and I think the team really took the embarrassing nature of that drubbing to heart.
Each season is a new chance to learn new lessons and build good habits. The way they performed in that game, getting dunked on at every turn and being thoroughly humiliated on the floor, seems to have stuck with them.
They're not playing perfectly, but mistakes aren’t cascading like they did against the Thunder. They can make mistakes and still pull through. They’ve been impressive in how they respond to in-game adversity.
- All-Star announcement soon
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are going to make the All-Star team, the only question is whether either of them is a starter. My guess is Tatum will start and Brown will be a reserve.
I hope they get to be on the same team. It was fun to see them go at each other a couple of times in their first All-Star game together -- and that would be fun to see again -- but I’d rather see them throwing each other some lobs. I think assisting each other in an All-Star game would be a fun memory for them.
- What to do with Payton Pritchard
He’s proven to be a luxury for this team, and he’ll get another chance in Orlando tonight with both Marcus Smart (ankle) and Malcolm Brogdon (personal reasons) out.
I’m still open to a Pritchard/Danilo Gallinari combination of salary to bring back a ~$11 million player if that becomes an option. I don’t think Pritchard is untradeable, however Brad Stevens shouldn’t just move Pritchard to move him. The rumored overtures from the Warriors should be dismissed.
Basically, keep Pritchard unless his inclusion leads to an upgrade on the wing. I’m not dangling him for Jakob Poeltl or any other big.
