The Boston Celtics are riding a hot streak of 10 straight wins. This past Friday night’s game against the Golden State Warriors marked their 10th straight win after they lost their season-opener to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics are currently 10-1 and atop the NBA with the best record.
The Celtics were predicted by many to apex around 50 wins this year, being roughly the third seed in the east. But given how the Celtics are playing thus far early in the season, it is likely that they are becoming one of the best teams in the whole league. An incredible start to a season does not always provide positive results throughout the year, but it does provide a great boost to a team that was not considered as a contender.
During this win streak, the Celtics had faced some easier opponents such as the New York Knicks and the Charlotte Hornets. However, not every game they played was against rebuilding teams. The Celtics have faced potential playoff teams in the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs, and Dallas Mavericks.
During this streak, Kemba Walker has been the focal point of Boston’s success. Walker, in his first year with the Celtics, has been the offensive go-to player, averaging 24.5 points while shooting 41 percent from the field and 42 percent from three. Walker is the scoring leader for this offense, especially after Gordon Hayward went down with a hand injury. Walker has shown great maturity and leadership to the young team. Leadership and a veteran attitude were among the major issues that the Celtics dealt with in recent years.
Walker has been one of the glue guys thus far for the Celtics, replacing the presence of Al Horford, who left in the offseason. Another key to the Celtics’ success is the chemistry that has been created early on. There is no denying that last year’s Celtics team was filled with multiple troublesome attitudes. The front office made executive decisions to not bring some of those guys back to the team and replace them with more professional and hard-working guys who would create a smoother and more respectable culture in the locker room and on the court.
Other players such as Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown have been filling into their roles perfectly during this win streak. Smart, who is having a career-high in scoring, is averaging 12 points per game, although his scoring has not been the highlight to his game this year. His playmaking and defense have been huge catalysts for the Celtics’ success. Smart, who is averaging 1.2 steals and half a block, has been a pest towards every guard in the league and has even been holding his own against star forwards such as Giannis Antetokoumpo. Smart has also been one of the leading playmakers for the Celtics. Averaging 4.6 assists a game, he has provided great relief to Walker as he has been handling the ball more and running plays so that Walker and others can get open.
Jaylen Brown is on a whole different level since signing his extension. The fourth-year player has been averaging 20.5 points and seven rebounds a game. Both are career-highs for Brown, as he has made the giant leap that many were hoping from him after signing the large extension. Brown has been a large contributor to the Celtics’ success as he is able to score these high statistics through great efficiency. Currently, Brown is shooting 52 percent from the field, an incredible mark for a player who shoots consistently outside of the paint.
The Celtics’ schedule will not be easy for the remainder of the month, as they will be facing the Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and surging teams such as the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns. It will be hard to predict whether or not the Celtics will be able to continue their hot streak against such competitive teams in a row. The streak could continue if their star players keep up the great play, and when Jayson Tatum starts to shoot above 40 percent from the field each game.
The Celtics’ next game will be played in Sacramento this Sunday against the 4-7 Kings.
