The Celtics Quest For Banner 18 Returns Tonight And We Are In For One Hell Of A Ride

Megan Briggs. Getty Images.

We did it. We made it.

Every year I am reminded of how brutal the week off is during the All Star break, and every year I find myself struggling to get through it despite knowing it's coming every season. I watched the Bill Russell doc, I played 2K, I hit up Timi The GOATs highlight videos, I watched the All Star game, and nothing really worked. Time refused to move at a pace I deemed acceptable. 

You have to understand, I hadn't lived through 3+ consecutive days without seeing the Celts play since October 7-14th. Yes, I looked that up during this week off, that's how crazy I was going. I'm not proud of it, I understand how sad and pathetic that may be to some, but this is my reality. I apologize for nothing. There are probably dozens of us out there that went through a similar struggle since the 2/15 blowout win over the Pistons.

But now….

It's nut cutting time. Welcome to the Celts stretch run, a 23 game sprint with a whole lot on the line. All year has been about one thing and one thing only:

Winning the fucking title

And we've now entered the part of the NBA Calendar where teams are now going to be giving a shit. Every single game the Celts play the rest of the way is only going to get bigger and more significant. With just a 0.5 game lead for the 1 seed, there is no more time for letdown losses or not coming into a game ready to play. That shit is for December and January, not February/March/April. 

If you remember, after the break last season the Celts finished an NBA best 17-5. They had the #1 offense (122.6 Ortg), the 3rd best defense (109.9), and the best net rating (+12.7). They were a wagon that played their way to the brink of an NBA title. 

This season, the Celts are coming out of the break an NBA best 41-17. They have the #3 offense (116.9), the fourth best defense (110.6), and the best net rating (+6.2). Not only that, but given that we finally have a clean injury report

Tonight will be just the second time ALL SEASON that the Celts normal intended starting five will all be available to start together. You could make the case things are about to get even better. How important is their start after the break? Well, that all depends. A stoolie had tweeted this to me a few days ago and I thought it was a great catch. Could mean nothing, could mean something

Advertisement

Much like the 40/20 rule, maybe this is all just a coincidence. I'll allow for that. But you know what? I'd rather be on the right side of history with this too. The Celts checked off the 40/20 box, and I'd like to see them also now check off the "strong start after the break" box. You just never know! I'd rather not have to worry about it after seeing his brief history of how things shook out. I don't know if your first 7ish games truly impact a playoff result given those are about matchups, but I see the thinking. If the Celts drop in the standings due to a poor start, their path could potentially be tougher, resulting in an earlier-than-expected exit. So, just take care of your shit and we won't have to worry about it.

There was a lot of talk on the internet yesterday about playoff pressure, who has the most, shit like that. I had a few people respond to me confused why I personally had Tatum high on that list. 

I look at it like this. Embrace the pressure. Don't run from it. Don't try and deny it. This Celts team has been the title favorites since the summer. They've been the best team in the NBA all year. Everything has been about getting back to the Finals and winning it this season. Everyone from Brad to Joe to the Jays to the role players have all talked about it. It's OK to hold this team to a high standard, they are that good. For the first time probably since the 2007-08 season, this is truly a title or bust year. Just making the Finals is no longer a success like it may have been in 2021-22. The Celts broke through already and failed the biggest test. Passing that same test is now the only thing that matters and the only thing they should be judged on moving forward. 

And let's be honest, that's terrifying. I get it. Maybe that's why people are trying to downplay the pressure, and I can understand that to some degree. Winning the NBA title is very difficult. Not only do you need to execute and perform in the biggest moments, you need a little luck along the way. From here on out, if you thought the previous games were stressful, things are about to go up about 1000000 levels. Every possession now means more. Every decision, every mistake, everything is magnified given how few games there are left before we get into playoff basketball. 

It's exciting but also terrifying. This is it. The time has come for this team to finish strong and accomplish what they've been talking about all season long. No excuses, they have the talent. They have the blueprint. Now it just comes down to whether or not they'll pull it off.

When the season started, it felt like this moment was so far away. Back then, it was just about establishing that there would be no NBA Finals hangover. What happened over the ensuing 5 months was the Celts proved that not only was there no hangover, but they were actually the best team in the NBA.

What happens over the next 3 months will determine if they have what it takes to finally become champions. Love and Trust.