As of March 25, the Eastern Conference has been decided. For the first time since the 2016-17 season, the Boston Celtics are the number-one seed in the Eastern Conference.
In case you forgot how things looked back then, Jayson Tatum was still at Duke, Jaylen Brown was a rookie (still rocking his flat-top hair), Isaiah Thomas finished fifth in MVP voting, Tom Brady and the Patriots had just rallied from a 28-3 deficit to defeat the Atlanta Falcons in the greatest comeback the Super Bowl has ever seen, and John Farrell was in his final season as the manager of the Red Sox.
Given the Celtics have been a mainstay at the top of the Eastern Conference for over half a decade since the last time they won the Eastern Conference, it’s surprising to realize that it’s been seven years since they were last the number-one seed – a fact that might just make some of us feel a tad older than we’d like.
Anyway, the Celtics’ spot is locked. They now have to wait until the conclusion of the Play-In Tournament on April 19 to see who their first-round opponent will be. In case there is any need for clarity of the Play-In Tournament:
April 16: The seven-seed in the standings will host the eight-seed. The winner earns the seven–seed in the playoffs.
April 17: The 10-seed visits the nine-seed. The loser is eliminated, while the winner plays the loser of the seven-seed vs. eight-seed matchup.
April 19: The loser of the seven-eight-seed matchup host the winner of the nine-10-seed. The winner earns the eight-seed in the playoffs.
According to the Pro Basketball Reference “Playoff Probabilities Report,” which is based on 10,000 simulations of the remainder of the season, Boston’s most likely first-round opponents are the Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls, or Atlanta Hawks.
In the meantime, the Celtics have over three weeks until the postseason kicks off, with 10 games left on their schedule to fine-tune their game and gear up for the playoffs. While rest will undoubtedly become a factor over this homestretch of the season, the Celtics can’t just mail these games in.
Here are three priorities the Celtics should consider through the final 10 games of the season.
Rest and health
**Knocks on wood**
The Celtics have been incredibly fortunate in terms of health this season.
So much so that, with just a few more games from Jrue Holiday (4) and Jaylen Brown (1), four out of Boston’s preferred starting five will meet the 65-game criteria for postseason awards like All-NBA and All-Defense honors. The only exception would be Kristaps Porzingis, whom the Celtics have been handling with utmost care throughout the season – a decision that’s entirely justified.
Health has been, and continues to be, the top priority this season, especially considering the relatively inconsequential nature of these upcoming games. However, while many talk show radio phone lines will sound something like:
“Put ’em all in bubble wrap until the playoffs.”
That might not be the best course of action.
Let’s be clear: the Celtics will and should rest their starters during this stretch. But the challenge lies in finding the right balance — resting players strategically without disrupting the team’s rhythm and chemistry, which they’ve built throughout the season.
While practices are valuable, there’s no substitute for game experience. It’s likely that Boston’s top six will see limited action together over these final 10 games – but when they are on the court, they must maximize their minutes.
“I think it just comes down to what’s in the best interest of the player, [and] what’s in the best interest of the game,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said earlier this month in regard to resting players. “Luckily, we have a whole science department that specializes in that, and they have the best interests of the player, and we work together on what that looks like. But regardless of who’s in or who’s out, I think what you’ve seen is we’ve played a certain level of basketball, and that’s the most important thing.”
Maintaining habits
The “level of basketball” highlighted by Mazzulla is truly top-notch. Regardless of the lineup, every player for Boston has stepped up with the right mindset and delivered quality performances. This is evident in Boston’s impressive 10-1 record when missing two or more of its preferred starting five.
This consistency reflects the team’s unwavering commitment to a winning mindset, a philosophy that has been a cornerstone of the Celtics’ success since day one and rarely deviated from.
Looking ahead, maintaining this mindset, and nurturing good habits remain paramount.
As the season winds down, and with playoff implications now irreverent, there’s a tendency to let up. Yet, upholding that “win the day” mentality becomes even more crucial during these moments, ensuring the team remains sharp with their philosophies.
This is a challenge the Celtics are well aware of.
“We have the right approach. We’ve had the right approach,” Jaylen Brown said following Boston’s loss in Atlanta on Tuesday night. “No matter [if] we’re up 30, or we’re down five, we got to have the same approach and same mindset. That’s going to be a challenge for us going into the last home stretch of the season -- knowing that we secured the Eastern Conference and the number one seed. But we still gotta work on us.”
Continued experimentation
Considering the Celtics have had a 10-game cushion on the Eastern Conference for most of March, they have had the luxury of being able to experiment for a little while now.
They know what works – obviously. They are blowing teams out by an average of 11.5 points per game.
Whether that be mixing up substitution patterns, using more double-big lineups, or even using lineups without a point guard (a result of rest), the Celtics are well into the experimentation phase.
Although the experimentation hasn’t always led to perfect outcomes, it has allowed the team to explore different approaches and gain valuable experience. So, if they want to throw a curveball in the playoffs, they will do so with a sense of familiarity. That’s the luxury of having room for error.
“I don’t really consider it an experiment,” Mazzulla said earlier this month following a win over the Pistons. “These are opportunities that we have to go – in case we need them for whatever reason.”
Continuing to explore and innovate remains Boston’s greatest advantage down the stretch. However, striking that balance is crucial, ensuring that these changes don’t disrupt the current flow.
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