The Boston Celtics have had steady success for well over a year.
Since starting out the 2021-22 season with a 17-19 record, Boston has been the NBA’s best team. In 108 regular season games since, the Celtics have a record of 78-30. Oh yeah, they also made a run to the NBA Finals and were just two wins from a championship.
Sustained success is now familiar to Boston. The only question now is, what is different enough to spark hope that this can be the year the Celtics finally capture Banner 18?
Marcus Smart has an idea.
“This team is different,” Smart told ESPN’s “NBA Countdown” crew Wednesday. “We’ve got the depth that we’ve been looking for. Last year our depth hurt us a lot. I did everything I could — Jayson (Tatum), Jaylen (Brown). When you’re trying to make a championship run you need some help and we feel like we finally got that.”
Perhaps outside of Jayson Tatum’s emergence as a legitimate MVP candidate, the upgrades made to Boston’s bench unit have been the story of the season.
The Celtics were forced into playing an eight-man rotation during their NBA Finals matchup with the Golden State Warriors. The starting five of Smart, Tatum, Brown, Al Horford and Robert Williams III played around 35 minutes a night, with Derrick White, Grant Williams and Payton Pritchard occasionally rotating off the bench.
That has all changed.
Boston has the ability to go 12 deep on any given night. That starting five is still the Celtics’ best, while Malcolm Brogdon has been added to a steady bench rotation alongside White and Grant Williams. In addition to that top eight, Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Blake Griffin, Luke Kornet and Mike Muscala all have the ability to play big roles off the bench on any given night.
Pritchard can always be counted on to provide some hustle and ball handling off the bench, though that may not be enough for him. Hauser has provided a steady shooting presence, despite a lack of consistent time. Griffin has become the ultimate grit player and teammate. Kornet is a fan favorite. Muscala has provided size and shooting.
Only time will tell whether Smart is right in his assessment. One thing is for certain, however: The Celtics are much deeper than they were last season.
