ORLANDO, Fla. – The Celtics made it to the NBA bubble like a black horse to reach the NBA finals, a team with enough talent to scare anyone and now without having to worry about losing the lead at home against the Toronto Raptors or Milwaukee Bucks, the top two Eastern Conference teams.
In their opening scrimmage, the Celtics did not seem self-confident as contenders, appearing baffled and overwhelmed in a loss for Oklahoma City’s Thunder. Sunday’s performance against the Phoenix Suns, a 117-103 victory at the Visa Center, was a better response.
But after seeing some of the best NBA teams in the last few days – you can do it when there are six games a day – it’s clear that the Celtics don’t really bring the swagger of teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers or even birds of prey.
Maybe it was that second round playoff that beat the Bucks last season that drove the Celtics a little crazy. But it will take a couple of extra performances like Sunday and more practice time for the Celtics to truly believe they are contenders.
Everyone else says yes, but what do they say?
What could make the Celtics vulnerable are their first two stars – Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum – have never led a team in the playoffs as the main weapons. Two years ago they relied on Al Horford, Marcus Morris and other veterans in that race for Eastern Conference Finals Game 7. Last season, Kyrie Irving promised everyone that the Celtics would shake up their drama and chaos and turn into a dominant playoff team.
And they ended up being a knockout victim, embarrassed by a superior team.
So what will be different this year? Why will the Celtics suddenly be better prepared and equipped to beat Bucks and Raptors?
“The most connected team will really be the team that excels in this type of environment,” said guard Marcus Smart. “You don’t have a crowd. You have to do it alone every game, every game. You can’t really start slowly and we’ve seen it from the other game [Friday]. Trying to make it easier and trying to understand it is not the way to go. You have to go out hard and ready to play and this helps. “
What also infuses this team with confidence is the presence of Kemba Walker, who played nine minutes in his recovery debut after the knee discomfort during breastfeeding. Walker played with the excitement, confidence and explosion of energy that motivated his team.
The Celtics will compete for a championship only when they are whole. Walker helps this team in many ways. It is the quarterback, the player who runs the game. But like his younger teammates, Walker will also have to adapt to the intensity of this new playoff environment. He has never won a playoff in his career, so he is the leader but not the most experienced in this situation.
“We have to be stricter in this environment,” said Walker. “It’s so different, so silent, you have to have everyone locked up in the best way possible. Do you dream of winning a championship? No question. I think we have the opportunity. We can get there one day, but we will continue to work on this as a team, continuing to improve ”.
Smart is considered the “heart and soul” of the team because of its gritty and relentless style. He understands that he will have to be more impressive in his approach with his teammates. Motivation is important here because there are no fans, there are no whistles, no reason to put the index finger on the lips to calm the crowd.
“Being here is better for some kids because there are less distractions,” said Smart. “Family, friends and all the outside noise (I’m not here). Here it is quiet. You can focus on yourself and do yourself well. “
Sunday was a step in the right direction, but the Celtics know they are far from where they need to be to push the Bucks and Raptors to the brink.
“We have to keep preparing as each game is our last game,” said Smart. “We can’t take any games for granted. You really have to prepare. We have to go out in attack mode. Let’s see what got us out and not be prepared. “
The Celtics don’t have the bravado of a potential champion right now, but they hope to get that strength in the next 2½ weeks of matches sown. They will have meetings with Bucks and Raptors, along with Heat and Trail Blazer, to gain ground and prepare for a long run in the playoffs. The Celtics are a little shaky right now, which is OK, but in the end they will have to assert themselves, play 48 minutes and their potential to be a legitimate contender.
