(Photo via Erik Drost)
After losing Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and Daniel Theis to injury, a lot of people began to count out the Boston Celtics. But Boston has somehow managed to grab shocking victories in its last two games, and as the C’s continue to outperform expectations, the rise in the win column begs the question: How far can this team go?
Today, we learned that Kyrie Irving will reportedly be out for 3-6 weeks after undergoing a “minimally invasive procedure” to remove tension wire in his left knee (CBS Boston). Celtics fans should be ecstatic after hearing this news because not only does it mean that Kyrie will be available for the majority of the playoffs, but it also means that his knee is structurally sound and that there are fewer dangerous, long-term implications for the franchise star.
But for the time being, players like Jayson Tatum, Terry Rozier, Al Horford, Shane Larkin, and Marcus Morris are being held responsible for this team’s success. For example, in the Celtics’ most recent 105-100 victory over the Trail Blazers, Marcus Morris dropped 30 points, including a clutch three. The extra pressure put on these guys isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though. Not only does it fortify their confidence and allow them to shine, but it’s shown us that Jayson Tatum can be “the guy,” or that Terry Rozier can score on a consistent basis, or that Marcus Morris can put up big nights like he did on Friday.
“I would just say our character is unbelievable. We’re really fighters, and that’s what’s made us so great.” (Shane Larkin after win over Portland)
Right now, Celtics fans are the most finicky group of people in the sports world. One minute, we’re all freaking out that Kyrie’s gone for the season and calling it quits, and the next we hear he’ll be back in about a month and everyone’s feeling good again. Either way, this team just keeps on winning––they’ve won three of their last four, and it seems like they’ve got that Boston magic that New Englanders have been seeing with the Bruins this year, where the guys you wouldn’t expect to step up rise to the occasion.
With Jaylen Brown expected to return soon, Kyrie back in under six weeks, and Marcus Smart aiming a playoff return, things certainly aren’t over for this two-seeded lock in the East. I still stand by the Celtics being an NBA Finals contender and solemnly vow to stop hitting the panic button every other day on this team.
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