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Strain normally feels apparent this time of 12 months. You realize who it’s on, you realize what’s at stake, and you realize precisely who’s going to listen to about it if issues go sideways.
This Celtics staff is a bit completely different. The expectations are clearly actual and earned, however they’re not overwhelming. The core has already confirmed it may possibly win, the supporting solid has spent the 12 months exceeding assumptions, and all the season has carried a “discovered cash” really feel to it. Which makes the stress query tougher to pin down than ordinary.
We requested the CelticsBlog workers the place it really sits heading into the postseason, and whether or not it’s even there in any respect.
Which participant is underneath probably the most stress for the Celtics this postseason?
Jeff Clark: Frankly, I don’t see any Celtics gamers underneath stress. Positive, there’s the stress of the playoffs. There’s the stress of not desirous to waste a 12 months of Tatum and Brown’s primes. However this entire season has been discovered cash. They’ve the veteran crew that’s been via the battles and gained the entire thing. Then they’ve the younger crew that’s too younger to know that they aren’t imagined to be this good. And so they have a maniac coach that has all of them locked in and on the identical web page. That’s an important combo.
Invoice Sy: In a niche 12 months that noticed the entrance workplace get underneath the posh tax, I don’t suppose there’s a lot stress on anyone. Joe Mazzulla is the frontrunner for Coach of the Yr (regardless of renouncing the distinction), Tatum is lower than a 12 months from his Achilles tear, Brown has confirmed himself as an MVP candidate, and each position participant has performed above expectations. If there’s anyone that has something to show, it may be Nikola Vucevic.
You must think about that when Brad Stevens traded for him, the deal got here with the prospect that he might re-sign with Boston in the summertime. He confirmed indicators of becoming in earlier than and after he fractured his finger, however a playoff run will in the end be the proving floor.
Wealthy Jensen: I don’t suppose anybody’s underneath a substantial amount of stress. The C’s have to this point exceeded expectations that they’ve been taking part in with home cash since December or so. I feel Tatum may be placing himself underneath stress to rise to the extent of efficiency that he thinks the remainder of the staff deserves, however I definitely wouldn’t put any exterior stress on him. Possibly the remainder of the media panorama and segments of the fanbase have ratcheted their expectations of Tatum and the staff to unrealistic ranges, however I’m not going to be on that bandwagon.
Look. Being a Celtics fan is like profitable the lottery at this level. I’m not going to go round considering that I’m entitled to greater than what we in the end get from the staff.
Ian Inangelo: The particular person underneath probably the most stress proper now might be Jaylen Brown. Simply as a result of truth he has been the lead choice for many of the season and has put up MVP stage performances to this point. He’s going to be seen because the man who’s going to guide the Celtics to a different championship.
Mark Aboyoun: Nikola Vučević. Just like why he could also be a motive Boston gained’t win the championship, since he’s returned from his thumb damage, he hasn’t appeared nice. When he was traded to Boston, he needed to study the staff’s defensive scheme and, at instances, struggled. Then he acquired injured early in his Celtics profession, and with that, Garza was in a position to get again into the combo — and he’s finished properly, as he has all season. Within the playoffs, the rotation will get shorter, and Mazzulla must work out what’s greatest for the staff.
Nirav Barman: JB and Derrick could also be tied for being underneath probably the most stress, however for various causes. Whereas the MVP is a daily season award, gamers are nonetheless judged on their skill to retain that worth and manufacturing come playoff time. Jaylen has proved himself within the playoffs loads of instances earlier than, however this 12 months he can be underneath much more scrutiny. As for Derrick, he’s finished nearly all the things this 12 months, aside from rating the ball effectively. If White’s shot isn’t falling, the Celtics can be in an extremely robust spot, and a complete 12 months of poor capturing can be a foul search for Derrick.
Mike Dynon: Nobody is actually underneath stress as a result of the Celtics had been by no means anticipated to be the place they’re. Boston is taking part in this postseason with the proverbial home cash. If pressured to select somebody, let’s go together with Sam Hauser. After alternating cold and warm all season, he completed with a scorching April (52.6%) – but he nonetheless ended the season at solely 39.3%, the primary time he’s been beneath 40%. Hauser additionally dropped within the league three-point share standings; he ranked fortieth this season after inserting twentieth final 12 months and eleventh in 2024.
Hauser’s manufacturing is a key indicator for Boston. He appeared in 54 wins this season, making 42.4% of his photographs from distance. Conversely, he transformed solely 30.9% in 24 appearances the place the Celtics misplaced. Boston’s path can be a lot simpler if Sam will get into Haus-Hearth mode for the following two months.
Ryan Paice: Derrick White. General, I don’t suppose his place in Boston is underneath risk no matter how he in the end performs. However the highlight goes to show to him early and sometimes. Playoff defenses tighten the screws and focus in on eliminating strengths, whereas taking probabilities on testing perceived weaknesses.
A kind of perceived weaknesses could also be White’s shot, as he has struggled to hit at a strong clip all season, so I anticipate the protection might promote out on the Jays and let White take a number of photographs. If he can recuperate his shot from the previous couple seasons, the Celtics ought to stroll into the Finals. If he can’t, it could possibly be robust to observe as opponents sport plan towards him.
I, for one, can’t stand the considered the inevitable requires his head from among the sillier speaking heads within the media panorama if White can’t hit his photographs on a constant foundation.
Gio Rivera: Collectively, the frontcourt is underneath probably the most stress. Positive, there can be loads of discuss Tatum’s return and Brown’s skill to hold his MVP-caliber play into the postseason, however that’s nothing new. They’ve handled these expectations for years, and as champions who led the 2024 title run, the one stress that would attain them is the sort they place on themselves.
Neemias Queta and Nikola Vučević might want to maintain the fort. Final postseason, Queta appeared in simply 4 video games, averaging 3.3 minutes. That’s now not his actuality. He’s now not caught within the shadows of Kristaps Porziņģis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet. He’s now thought to be a authentic beginning heart, and he earned that.
Even when veteran champion Chris Boucher was within the combine, Queta earned his position and did all the things to maintain it. When Vučević arrived, he nonetheless held agency, reinforcing that the job was rightfully his. His averaged profession highs in factors (10.2), rebounds (8.4), and blocks (1.3), together with the most effective field-goal share amongst Japanese Convention facilities (65.3) and the third-best web score (13.2) amongst facilities, trailing solely Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren. That doesn’t simply earn him locker room endorsement for the Most Improved Participant award — it raises the bar for what’s anticipated this postseason.
Vučević, too, is in an identical spot. After lacking 14 video games with a fractured proper finger, he struggled to regain kind, averaging 7.4 factors and 5 rebounds whereas capturing 31 p.c from three over the ultimate 4 video games of the common season. Because the commerce deadline return for Simons — and a participant the group has eyed for years — Boston will want him to bounce again shortly, ideally as early as the primary spherical.
Grant Burfeind: It must be the most effective participant on the staff this season, Jaylen Brown. He’s finished the extremely laborious job over the previous couple of years, which is get higher each single season, and at a sure level, that nearly raises the stakes as an alternative of decreasing them. He’s proved he belongs, now it’s about proving that this model of you is the brand new baseline.
Regardless of this superb season, it nonetheless appears like he’s one shaky playoff run away from all of the outdated conversations creeping again in. The pressured drives, the free deal with, the possessions that stall out into isolation — we’ve seen it earlier than, even when it appears like he’s moved previous it. If he performs on the stage he’s reached this season, it raises the ceiling of all the staff and could possibly be the distinction in bringing dwelling Banner 19. If he slips again into a few of these habits, he’s going to put on plenty of that final result. That’s stress in its easiest kind.
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