Nicely, that’s extra prefer it.
Recent off dropping my complete thoughts concerning the Celtics’ amateurish final ten days, Boston laid a complete new model of smack down on the lowly Toronto Raptors to the tune of a 125-71 victory. That’s 54 complete factors, the kind of margin that forces even essentially the most cynical of followers to look within the mirror and ask, “why did I ever fear?”
Such emotionally-potent oversimplifications aren’t precisely the very best type of dialog, however Boston definitely took my bullet factors of points and checked virtually every little thing off with excessive prejudice. Save for Al Horford’s continued struggles from downtown, the Celtics obtained Jrue Vacation again (actually), Sam Hauser again (statistically) and Derrick White again (emotionally). Good things from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as properly, and so they performed hilariously good protection from the starters by means of the tip of the bench, permitting an unserious 71 factors. So, it’s all good within the neighborhood for now.
However with how mad I used to be about Sunday’s loss — and I’m not… on the staff — all of us knew a pissed-off destruction of the ghost-of-the-Toronto Raptors was coming, although, even I didn’t assume it could occur with this a lot gunpowder. The Celtics had been cruising on all ranges, and it is a nice confidence increase heading into January. However man… January goes to be robust.
Boston’s subsequent 4 video games are a street journey by means of the American south and west like we’re a troupe of beat poets from the Nineteen Fifties, staring down the Timberwolves, Rockets, Thunder and Nuggets, often known as 4 actually good groups. The Celtics have now regarded utterly-dominant in two of their final three video games, however how about they give the impression of being that good on the street towards potential NBA Finals opponents. And notably, how about they give the impression of being good towards the Thunder?
Motivation isn’t one thing you may quantify, however the six-games-in-10-days-around-Christmas schedule is a tough one to get completely jazzed for. However a street journey to place the Western Convention on discover about whose league that is? The Celtics should not have any hassle getting up for that if they’re 1/third the aggressive sickos I feel they’re.
So… let’s see them do it. The buzzword from practices, press conferences and anxious residents like myself has been “inconsistency,” and to keep away from a return to the Celtics staff that wanted its again plastered towards the wall to play their finest, they need to use this journey as a possibility to exorcise these demons. And they need to do it large time.
If Boston can look half nearly as good as they did towards the Thunder, everybody within the NBA world will likely be reminded who’s boss. And that’s the prize they want their eyes lasered in on. The long-term concern for this staff was dropping the concern issue, and dropping the hammer on this street journey will carry all of it the best way again after which some. If Boston nonetheless needs to be the alpha, lay the sort of smack down on the nationwide stage. Then, we’ll actually be in enterprise.
