Fresh off their second consecutive win, the Celtics face off tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who enter Saturday riding a four-game win streak. While Boston’s last two victories have been undoubtedly convincing, they’ve come at the hands of two teams that are a combined 15-27, both sitting outside the playoff picture looking in.
So, what can we conclude? Have the Celtics overcome their early-season woes, or are these performances simply a product of facing poor competition?
Gordon Hayward, shooting a combined 51.4% from the field over his last four appearances, looks more comfortable than he’s been in awhile. On Friday night, Hayward elevated above the rim and missed an alley-oop by mere inches, but the leap demonstrated increased confidence in his athletic ability, something he’s struggled with since returning from injury. A day after teammate Kyrie Irving’s comments compelling Hayward to be more aggressive, the 28-year-old forward responded, going 6-9 from the field in just 24 minutes of play.
Marcus Morris continues to be a pleasant surprise, posting his third consecutive double-digit performance on Friday. Through those three games, Mook is 6-14 from distance (nearly 43%) and a perfect 5-5 from the stripe. Whether off the bench or in a starting role, Morris has been one of Boston’s most consistent pieces thus far.
Kyrie continues to dazzle, averaging a gaudy 27.5 points on 59% shooting from downtown in the C’s last two games, and Brad Stevens’ addition of Marcus Smart and Marcus Morris to the starting five is paying off in a big way.
But, again, these successes have all taken place against teams who really shouldn’t give this talented Celtics lineup any trouble. Aside from Morris’ contributions and Kyrie’s consistency, what we’ve seen over the last two games hasn’t been there all season.
One inevitable blemish is Jaylen Brown, who’s been inactive in Boston’s last two games and who’s struggled all year to make strides forward. In fact, since last season, Brown’s field goal, three point, and free throw percentages have all fallen appreciably, and, despite his superior athleticism, he’s shown a repeated unwillingness to drive to the rack and finish in tight.
This leaves us with a plethora of burning questions: Can Marcus Smart be an effective starting guard against the titans of the NBA? Sure, we know he can run off the bench and provide a spark now and then, but can Stevens trust him to play his role when the lights get bright? Will Hayward still demand shots when Horford and Brown return? Will there even be shots for him to demand? Will Brad stick with the current starting five or throw Brown back into the mix?
The simple––and unsatisfying––answer is that we just have to wait and see. In the next four games, Boston faces the T-Wolves, Knicks, Bulls, and Pelicans, all games they should win. The bottom line is that, if the C’s are to finish with the top seed in the East, they need to beat these tomato can opponents, plain and simple. And until they face off against a legitimate playoff contender, we won’t really know if this recent success is indicative of sustainable, elite play.
(Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference)
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