The Boston Celtics have won four games in a row and eight of their last nine. This team has silenced all doubters who assumed that Jayson Tatum’s absence and multiple offseason roster losses would have the lottery calling.
So many people deserve credit for the Celtics’ continued excellence. You have to start with Brad Stevens, whose culture that began when he was head coach still permeates this entire franchise. It’s a culture that prioritizes daily improvement, teamwork, and selflessness over standings and stats.
You can point to Joe Mazzulla, who has silenced plenty of critics of his own claiming that he was merely a beneficiary of extremely talented rosters in the past.
And speaking of talented rosters, the current Celtics players deserve a ton of acclaim for shutting up fans and analysts who denied their value. Jaylen Brown is a superstar. Derrick White and Payton Pritchard are capable of All-Star-level production. These are guys that should never have been slept on.
The Celtics find themselves in contender discussions, even without Tatum in the picture. The latest NBA power rankings released by ESPN on Wednesday had Boston at No. 4, up three spots from their last ranking. Tim Bontemps contextualized the ranking by suggesting that some changes could be on the way to make the Celts even more of a threat.
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“Boston’s biggest addition could be its own player, as the question of whether Jayson Tatum will return this season from an Achilles tear hovers over the franchise,” Bontemps wrote. “Outside of that, the Celtics’ biggest potential move would likely involve Anfernee Simons. The guard’s expiring contract could be dealt to get Boston closer to sneaking under the luxury tax or be used as matching salary in a trade.”
The teams ahead of the Celtics in ESPN’s power rankings were the San Antonio Spurs (No. 3), the Detroit Pistons (No. 2), and the Oklahoma City Thunder (No. 1).
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Boston’s upcoming games are against the Denver Nuggets (Jan. 7), Toronto Raptors (Jan. 9), Spurs (Jan. 10), and then on the road against the Indiana Pacers (Jan. 12).
Featured image via Brian Fluharty/Imagn Images
