The Boston Celtics have everything you need to win a championship — but we know that already.
We also know that there are probably only two teams in the entire league with a legitimate shot at stopping Boston’s repeat attempt. But as Celtics fans should know all too well, there is a third factor that could very well rob this team of a second title: injuries.
While Boston has avoided major, season-ending losses up to this point (knock on wood), there have been enough nagging injuries piling up that should cause concern. Whether it is Jrue Holiday’s mallet finger, Jaylen Brown’s knee and most recently, Jayson Tatum’s ankle sprain, all of these injuries can build up and stop Boston from playing its best basketball when it needs to.
And as the postseason sits 25 days away and the Celtics firmly planted in the two seed, the only thing they should be worried about is making sure their top eight guys are as close to 100% as possible. At this point, with what this team is capable of, the only thing that should matter is playing basketball in June.
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With just ten games remaining in the regular season, Boston should be more focused on rest then making sure the starting five is getting reps together. It should instead be letting guys like Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh get some serious run before they take their seats on the bench for the playoffs — though with how Scheierman has been playing the last week, it’s possible head coach Joe Mazzulla puts him on the floor in the postseason.
However, it’s also understandable that the 65-game requirement for postseason awards is meaningful to players like Brown, who is at 57 games played as of today. That means he would have to play eight of the last 10 in order to qualify for those awards. And after playing just 26 minutes and scoring nine points against Sacramento, after missing four of the last five games, the conversation should be had whether Brown makes the push for the 65 game mark.
Personally, it makes the most sense to have Brown miss out on the 65-game mark, and play four or five of the final 10. Brown has said it himself, countless times, that the only thing that matters is winning. To put himself and the team, in the best position to do that, it probably means sacrificing any possible postseason accolades.
In regards to Tatum — who sprained his left ankle during Monday’s win over the Kings — the Celtics should shut him down until that ankle is as healthy as possible. It seemed like he was in good spirits in the locker room postgame, sporting neither a boot or crutches, according to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe.
Still, depending on the severity of the sprain, the injury could have a nagging effect, and if not rested properly, still linger into the playoffs. At this point with an eight-game lead over the Knicks for the two seed, there is really no excuse for Tatum to be pushing to play. He’s already hit the 65 game mark, so the Boston staff shouldn’t let him touch the court for at least a week. No matter how much he wants to fight them on it.
“A lot of head butting,” Tatum said on March 14. “I understand the balance of being fresh for hopefully the long playoff run … I try to stay ready and play as much as I can.”
There is also always the injury concern with Kristaps Porzingis, but in regards to physical injuries, he has stayed mostly healthy since his Christmas Day injury. He obviously has had the issue with the mystery illness that kept him out eight games, but he has bounced back nicely since returning on March 15. That said, the Celtics should still be cautious with the big man. There is no reason for him to suffer a significant injury in a meaningless regular season game.
Holiday also seems to be bouncing back well from his mallet finger injury. His shooting still has ebbs and flows, but as seen last year, Boston will need him more for his defensive playmaking anyways.
The only thing that should change the outlook regarding rest is with Cleveland and the No. 1 seed. The Cavaliers dropped four-straight games and are now only 4.5 games ahead of Boston. It’s still not very likely, but unless things go really south in Cleveland, the C’s shouldn’t be exerting more energy than needed for seeding.
In the end, Boston should be taking every step necessary to make sure it is healthy, and rested, as possible before April 19 rolls around. Looking at a potential first round matchup with Atlanta, it should give some room for the Celtics to get back into a groove before the later rounds.
“Playing on this team, it’s really about winning,” Holiday said. “It’s not about the stats.”
