For nearly a decade, the Celtics have held a spot near the top of the Eastern Conference.
However, despite making five trips to the Eastern Conference Finals in the last seven years and subsequently reaching the NBA Finals, the Celtics have yet to reach the pinnacle of the basketball world since the 2008 season.
This quest for championship glory prompted significant offseason moves by Brad Stevens and the Celtics’ front office. Notable additions, such as Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, were complemented by the infusion of championship experience into the revamped coaching staff with the arrivals of Sam Cassell and Charles Lee.
The result? A Celtics team currently boasting a league-best 34-10 record, ranking in the top three in offensive (3rd), defensive (2nd), and net rating (1st).
Just past the midway point of the regular season, the Celtics look all the part of the championship contenders they are thought to be. Undoubtedly, they stand among the league’s best teams. Although, that doesn’t necessarily imply they are the gold standard that teams are chasing.
As two conference rivals made significant moves this week, with the Miami Heat trading for Terry Rozier amid a career year and the Milwaukee Bucks replacing Adrian Griffin with Doc Rivers, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla doesn’t believe those moves were made to catch up to Boston – especially considering their current core has yet to reach the NBA’s mountaintop.
“I don’t think they’re competing with us,” Mazzulla told reporters at a practice on Wednesday.
“First of all, we haven’t won. So, I don’t know why anyone is competing with us. We haven’t won a championship since 2008. We’re certainly not the standard. We’re chasing people as much as people may say they’re chasing us, you know what I mean? We don’t even look at it like that.”
Mazzulla is right. Until the Celtics raise that coveted Banner 18, they have just as much to prove as any other team in the race. While there has been a lot to like about what Boston has done this season, the C’s won’t be judged on their regular season success. It will all come down to what they can do come May into early June.
Mazzulla and his team know they have the chance to do something special. After all, they are three games better than any other team in the association. However, those past slip-ups should serve as a cautionary tale.
“We just have to keep that healthy balance of knowing we’re a really good team, but there are also other really good teams,” Mazzulla added. “How do we match up against them, and how do we continue to get better as a team?”
With things going the way they have for the Celtics, it’s presumably easy to let complacency settle in. Yet, the Celtics have avoided falling victim to that notion by consistently emphasizing the importance of maintaining the right mindset, winning each day, regardless of the circumstances — whether it’s a game or a practice on a rainy day at the Auerbach Center.
Maintaining that mindset and building good habits is an approach that will go a long way for Boston come playoff time as they look to become that golden standard around the NBA. Until then, the Celtics still have something to prove.
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