Fresh off a hard-fought victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night, the Celtics hit the road for Dallas, a trek of roughly 250 miles for a date with the Luka Doncic and the Mavericks at the American Airlines Center.
Despite being on the second night of a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights, this time without Kristaps Porzingis, against a Mavericks team that hadn’t played since Wednesday, Joe Mazzulla went just eight deep into his rotation.
“The players dictated that,” Mazzulla said postgame on the shortened rotation. “We obviously had both KP and Oshae [Brissett] out, but I just felt like – I liked what the eight were giving us. And by the time it was time to change the sub-pattern, I just thought we were already in it. It was already kind of too physical, and I felt like it was hard to kind of go with something different and kind of bring that physicality.”
While it was Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown that shouldered the load for the Celtics, combining for 73 points on 24-of-43 (55.8%) shooting, 14 rebounds, nine assists, and, most impressively, zero turnovers, Boston once again got contributions from up and down their roster.
One of the more noteworthy performances came from Payton Pritchard, who finished a +16 off the bench for the Celtics, helping make up for a rare off night from Derrick White.
The 6-foot-1 guard was a game-changer with his energetic play and stifling defense. Flying around the court, he recorded a block and a steal, limiting Mavericks shooters to just four points on 2-of-10 (20%) shooting. Notably, Pritchard held Kyrie Irving to 0-of-5 shooting and a turnover.
Additionally, Pritchard dished out a team-high six assists and snagged seven rebounds, tied with Jrue Holiday for the second-most on the team.
Pritchard’s showing on Monday night was another example of how Boston’s reserves reliably step up when called upon. This time, it happened in a playoff-esque scenario, with Mazzulla opting for a more condensed rotation.
As the NBA’s February 8 trade deadline looms just over two weeks away and the buyout market heating up shortly after, discussions about potential additions to give the team an extra boost become inevitable among fans. However, when it comes to the Celtics, adding at the deadline could really be subtracting.
Sure, the concerns regarding the health of Porzingis and the durability of 37-year-old Al Horford are indeed fair. Still, there is simply no way to replace the impact of those players, especially considering the tools Boston has to work with.
Despite the team already being well above the luxury tax and one of just five teams over the NBA’s second apron, Brad Stevens noted earlier this month that he has the “green light” from ownership to continue to add to the team’s payroll. This includes utilizing the $6.2 million traded player exception acquired during the offseason in the Grant Williams sign-and-trade. The problem is that there aren’t many players that meet that criteria.
Furthermore, regarding the buyout market, the Celtics can’t sign any player with a pre-existing salary of $12.4 million due to falling in the second apron.
“There’s really not a ton we can do big without touching our main guys, right?” Stevens said. “So, what you look at is guys that can play, guys that can add value, but like I said last year, don’t need to play. They are over themselves, and I think that that’s important. That’s what we have right now.”
Stevens and the Celtics’ front office strongly believe in the current composition of their reserves. After all, the performance of the reserves has consistently provided ample reasons for Stevens to maintain this belief.
Pritchard and Sam Hauser have demonstrated their value by making significant contributions during their minutes on the court, impacting both ends of the floor effectively whenever they enter the game. Pritchard (+198) ranks second in the NBA in plus-minus by a bench player, and Hauser (+156) ranks fifth. They rank first and third in the Eastern Conference, respectively.
Meanwhile, when called upon, Luke Kornet, Oshae Brissett, Neemias Queta, and Lamar Stevens have each made significant contributions. It’s important to recognize their impact, which has played a vital role in the Celtics’ NBA-best 34-10 record.
It’s entirely reasonable for fans to seek a sense of security in case of injuries. However, considering the talent on this roster, the reality is that replacing these players, should they go down, is an exceptionally challenging task.
Moreover, is it worth it for Stevens to risk tinkering with the team’s dynamic?
Getting an entire locker room to embrace the concept of “Sacrifice,” a cornerstone for the Celtics, is no simple task. Everybody on the roster understands their role, leading to the team thriving.
The unparalleled chemistry within this team could go further than any addition at the deadline.
With an open roster spot, Stevens will —and should— conduct his due diligence at the deadline, although an addition to this roster is not necessary. We’ve all heard the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That’s exactly how the Celtics should approach the deadline.
As Stevens alluded to earlier this month, Boston’s additions are already in the building. The only necessary move is to convert Queta’s two-way deal to a standard contract and continue the season-long trend of improvement.
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