Gordon Hayward’s leg twisted the wrong direction just over five minutes into the 2017-18 NBA season. Three days later, Boston would pick up its first win of the young season, the first of 16 consecutive wins.
Fast forward a few months, and the Celtics are weathering the storm, picking up some quality wins, and showcasing their young talent (more on this later). Then, Kyrie Irving’s knee flares up. Irving would undergo surgery to remove a wire in his knee in mid-March. At that point, everybody counted the Boston Celtics out. They didn’t have the talent or experience to reach the Finals, especially being in a conference with LeBron, right?
But here we stand: The boys have won seven of their last eight playoff games and have flat out humbled the Cleveland Cavaliers en route to a 2-0 series advantage in the ECF. I predicted that the Sixers would beat Boston in six, but the Celtics’ defensive gameplan on Simmons and Embiid combined with their relentlessly focused offensive attack against Philadelphia’s weak links proved me wrong, as the C’s took Round 2 in five. Additionally, prior to this ECF rematch, I had, like most people, predicted that the Cavs would win in six; LeBron was playing at an absurdly high level. However, much to my ecstatic surprise, the Celtics have overmatched the Cavs in every facet of the game thus far in the series: offense, defense, energy, coaching, aggression, confidence, heart, etc. So now that the national media has plenty of time to prepare for Game 3 in Cleveland, many are wondering, How in the world is this Celtics team two wins away from the NBA Finals?
First off, there’s still a misconception that these Celtics are “a ragtag cohort of 2nd-rounders who just scrap like crazy and pull off improbable victories over superior teams.” Simply put, these guys are very talented: Al Horford, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum were the 3rd overall picks in 2007, 2016, and 2017. Marcus Smart was the 6th selection in 2014 and Terry Rozier the 16th in 2015. Additionally, Marcus Morris was the 14th overall pick in 2011. Irving, though injured, is a former No. 1 overall pick. Horford won back-to-back NCAA Championships with the Florida Gators, Rozier was electrifying at Louisville, and Jayson Tatum put on a clinic of superstar potential moves at the 2017 ACC Tournament with Duke. These guys were super skilled in college, so it should come as no surprise that they’ve displayed their talents on a national stage in the NBA Playoffs.
These guys are are tough. Terry Rozier is the heart of Youngstown, Ohio. The dude, for all it’s worth, played a season of high school basketball at Hargrave Military Academy. Marcus Smart’s brother died when he was a kid, but Marcus used it as extra motivation. Despite the controversies and histrionics at Oklahoma State, Smart was a bulldog and a winner. The time that he backflipped at Fogg Allen Fieldhouse following a triumphant upset victory over Kansas represents his character pretty perfectly. The list of tough guys goes on for Boston: Baynes, Morris, Brown, and more. Jaylen, in particular, could’ve easily moped around when the Celtics selected Tatum last year because Tatum plays the same position and was picked at No. 3 overall. But that was not the case, as Brown has embraced playing alongside Tatum; the two have become good teammates and friends dating back to the days after Tatum was drafted. Moreover, Brad Stevens has instilled a culture of toughness within the Celtics. He challenges them in timeouts regardless of the score and critiques the team performance even following a blowout victory. Obviously, his game-planning and out-of-timeout plays are monumentally beneficial to the C’s, but you can’t not acknowledge that he’s collectively toughened this team. This becomes especially clear when you consider that Boston is the first team in NBA history to reach back-to-back conference finals while returning just four players from the previous season.
Boston is a city of champions, and the Boston Celtics have won a league-high 17 NBA banners. Whether it was Bill Russell blocking shots and snatching rebounds, John Havlicek’s routine of running laps around the old Garden after the game, or Dave Cowens mixing it up down low, all the great Celtics teams have played with unmatched energy, relentless grit, and tremendous heart. This Celtics team has all of that, and it’s exhilarating to watch. Terry “Scary Terry” Rozier is leaping up to snare defensive rebounds off the rim, Marcus Smart is practically in the jersey of the player he’s guarding, and Marcus Morris is barking in Tristan Kardashian's face. When adversity strikes, this team has always responded. Hayward went down, and Tatum, Brown, and Morris rose to the occasion. Kyrie went down, and Rozier and Smart have feasted on unsuspecting prey since the devastating news of Kyrie’s infection surfaced. Daniel Thies, another underrated pickup by Danny Ainge, went down, and Horford and Baynes have elevated their play in this postseason. With all of these things blending together, we have been able to witness some incredible runs inside the TD Garden over the last few weeks, as the Celtics continue to use bursts of willpower and heart to demoralize the opposition.
In a league where versatile wings and three-point shooters are valued the most, the Celtics have gathered a plethora of of players who fit that bill while also developing a roster that has a wonderful ratio of young, budding stars and seasoned veterans. Although Kyrie has been shut down, everyone has made it clear how much of an influence he still is with the team. To me, Irving’s greatest contribution to this team has been the extra confidence that he’s instilled in each of them. For example, it’s apparent that Terry has picked up some crafty dribbling and finishing moves from him. Tatum has been completely unfazed by the bright spotlight for just a 20-year-old, but if you recall, Irving saw the star potential in this kid before he was even traded to the Celtics. But Kyrie’s impact has trickled down to more than just Rozier and Tatum: Smart is somehow playing with more confidence, the team is locked in, and Al Horford has been playing with an “I’m-better-than-you-and-I’m going-to-attack-you-until-you-can’t-handle-it” attitude, a great point made by Zach Lowe. In turn, Horford has set the example on the court this postseason, and the rest of the guys have bought into his ultra-confident attitude.
The series with Cleveland is not over yet, but barring an unreal LeBron performance in the next five potential games, the Celtics should be representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. And although everybody will pick the Warriors to beat the C’s (if each team wins its current series), the Celtics’ talent, toughness, energy, grit, hustle, coaching, confidence, and “why not us” mentality will give them a legitimate shot at winning the 2018 NBA Finals.
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