Joe Mazzulla’s unexpected alternatives are created by the Celtics’ success | Robb.
After defeating the Knicks convincingly on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, the Celtics technically still have 25 regular season games left. After winning 8 games in a row with impressive style, Boston is essentially starting a new chapter in their season. With a record of 45-12, the club is currently eight games ahead of Cleveland, their closest East rival, and five games ahead of the Timberwolves for the NBA’s best record.
Boston should have an easy time securing the top seed in the East this season, as seen by the Eastern Conference’s makeup. Not only are the Celtics healthy, but they still have the second-simplest schedule in the NBA.
Meanwhile, a look across the rest of the Eastern Conference shows plenty of contenders in various states of struggle. The 76ers and Knicks are battling injuries to their All-Stars bigs with no potential return dates for weeks. The Bucks have lost six of their last 10 games amid consistency issues under their new coach Doc Rivers. The Cavs have also fallen back to earth after the All-Star Break with two straight losses.
To put it plainly, right now, none of these clubs has a genuine chance to challenge Boston in the standings. Although the Celtics won’t formally sign anything until March, the East Division fight for the regular season is already virtually done.
In New York on Saturday night, Al Horford told reporters, “It’s just the way kind of the season has gone.” “We’ve sort of held our own and are still working things out. The Sixers are obviously injured. Different teams are dealing with different situations. That is all taken into consideration. I can only say that we’re still playing excellent basketball, though. We’re genuinely attempting to play the correct game. Additionally, Joe seems to be pushing us to keep improving.
Regarding the standings, Brown stated, “None of that stuff really matters when it comes down to the playoffs.” It seems to me that playing hard and matchups will be key components. Home court matters, of course, so that’s important. But no matter your seed, you have to win basketball games when things get serious. In fact, it increases your workload. However, I believe our crew has experience. We’ve dealt with these circumstances previously, so I believe we’re prepared.
In recent years, the Celtics have occasionally overexerted themselves trying to get a seeding during the regular season. It will be interesting to see how they handle a much more comfortable situation while attempting to reach their best on the floor during the next weeks.
