The Boston Celtics have put together some encouraging stretches of basketball since emerging from February’s forgettable Rock Bottom run. But here’s are some sobering truths:
- After Tuesday’s loss to the Jazz, the Celtics are now 0-8 against the five best teams in basketball (the Jazz, Suns, Lakers, 76ers, and Nets). Boston is a meager 7-12 against all teams .500 or better.
- Boston woke up in Cleveland on Wednesday sitting sixth in the Eastern Conference. Not only have the rejuvenated Miami Heat accelerated past them but the Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier-led Charlotte Hornets are now one game up in the loss column.
- If the playoffs started today, the Celtics would open on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks. More concerning: the Celtics are a half game away from being in the play-in tournament. Boston is closer to being out of the playoffs (three games) than they are to being the third seed (five games back of the Bucks).
- Boston is now a head-slapping 11-15 in clutch games (score within five points in the final five minutes). Not only have they played a league-high 26 clutch games — three more than the next closest team — but they have a net rating of minus-9.9 in 88 minutes of clutch time, which ranks 23rd in the NBA.
None of this inspires optimism about what the team can accomplish moving forward. We will relent that health woes have consistently conspired against Boston and we remain curious to see if the team can cure some of what ails it when closer to full strength.
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But it was clear watching Tuesday’s showdown with the league-leading Utah Jazz that these Celtics almost certainly need a talent infusion if they are truly going to compete this year.
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Sure, a non-minutes-restricted Marcus Smart is vital. Maybe Romeo Langford can aid the bench, if he’s ever available. But this second unit desperately needs another spark plug.
That much was evident as Semi Ojeleye (elevated to a starting role with Tristan Thompson out due to health and safety protocols), Jeff Teague, Payton Pritchard, and Grant Williams combined to contribute two points on 1-of-4 shooting over nearly 58 minutes of total floor time against the Jazz.
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Most assuredly, the Celtics want Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kemba Walker taking the bulk of shots on any given night. We’d absolutely be shaking our fists here if Teague and Williams were taking shots away from that group.
But the Celtics need their bench players to impact the game, even if it’s beyond scoring. And how do you hang with a team like the Jazz when they can roll in Jordan Clarkson (a slam dunk for the Sixth Man award) and Joe Ingles, who combined for 34 of Utah’s 45 bench points?
Clarkson didn’t even have a great shooting night, but five of his six makes were from 3-point range. Boston’s bench was a combined 1 of 8 from beyond the arc with Smart missing a game-tying attempt in crunch time.
Whether it’s by utilizing a slice of the Hayward traded player exception or otherwise, Ainge has to find a way to infuse some talent into this roster and give Stevens more options to utilize at the end of the bench. If the team is hell-bent on preserving the bulk of the TPE with hopes of a bigger swing this summer, there are still options that might be obtainable if the team was willing to sacrifice future draft capital.
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The Celtics will get an up-close look at some upgrade possibilities in the ramp to next week’s trade deadline. Larry Nance Jr. will be across the way on Wednesday night. Harrison Barnes visits on Friday. The Orlando Magic bring their yard sale to TD Garden on Sunday. Justise Winslow will be on the floor when Boston visits Memphis next week.
For all their inconsistencies, the Celtics still are in position to compete this season. The buyout market could turn up some additional depth help, too. But we walked away from last season feeling like Boston was maybe one impact player away from truly pushing for a spot in the Finals. We can’t shake that feeling this season, and it’s been compounded by Boston’s health issues.
To both navigate a brutal schedule to the finish line of the regular season and position the team to best compete in the postseason, the Celtics need more talent on the bench: the type that all the best teams in the league are showcasing against them.