As 2018 arrives, the Boston Celtics have played more games than any other team and boast the top seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 30-10.
This reconstructed roster has exceeded expectations despite the hardships that struck the team, including Gordon Hayward’s injury, and knee soreness that has kept Marcus Morris either sidelined or with a minutes restriction.
Even though it has been an exciting first 40 games, there are areas that need improving in order to achieve banner 18.
Offensive rebounding
In all honesty, this category could be rebounding in general. However, due to the improvement from last year, I will limit it to the offensive side of things.
After being great at grabbing boards for the opening weeks, the Celtics have slid out of the top 20 teams for offensive rebounding. Struggling on the glass has been costly in many affairs already, and will continue to plague Boston barring an upgrade.
Let us see more of Aron Baynes
During the offseason, I predicted that giving all of these new faces enough play time would prove to be a delicate balancing act, and I was right.
Even with the absence of Hayward, there are just too many weapons to see everyone’s full potential. Yes, this is a fantastic problem to have, but keeping Baynes on the parquet helps with a rebounding solution.
The 31-year-old is averaging a career-high 5.1 boards a game which would surely jump up even more with some added minutes.
Take care of the Cleveland Cavaliers
Since the five-game postseason series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics last season, there has been no shortage of drama between these two powerhouses. Including the fact that All-Star point guards Isaiah Thomas and Kyrie Irving now play for opposite teams, the game on Jan. 3 is a must-see.
Thomas is set to return for the Cavaliers tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers but will reportedly not play against the Celtics on Wednesday.
Over the course of this season, the Celtics have bested the Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs. Crossing off the Cavaliers would provide huge satisfaction and propel the Celtics to finish the remainder of their season strong.
