The Celtics capped off their longest road trip of the season on Saturday night with a statement win. Jaylen Brown put up a career night to lead the most efficient offensive performance in Celtics history on their way to a 146-115 road win. The victory capped off a 4-1 road trip and made Boston winners of seven of their last eight games. The Clippers entered Saturday night having won six straight games, all by double digits. Against Boston, they were waving the white flag midway through the fourth quarter against a scoring onslaught.
Boston currently sits a half-game behind the Knicks as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference after Saturday’s rout. The team’s net rating put them among the four best teams in the NBA and tops in the Eastern Conference.
At 22-12, the Celtics have nearly reached the midway point of the season, which means small sample sizes are a thing of the past. This team is very much for real among East contenders and could find itself on the second tier of contenders just below the Oklahoma City Thunder if and when Jayson Tatum returns to the court later this season.
The Celtics have done enough now to prove to Brad Stevens and the front office that this group is very much for real especially in a wide-open Eastern Conference. For months, the expectation has been the trade deadline could lead to more cost-cutting moves for Boston as a team deep in the luxury tax. Now, the calculus must change there. Cost cuts may very well happen, but they must also be accompanied by talent upgrades if the team goes down that road in the coming weeks.
The cohesion of this group right now should have Stevens thinking more about adding than subtracting to this squad. Boston has an open roster spot and obviously needs to upgrade a big man spot on the depth chart. Adding some size feels like a necessity for a postseason run, but the market will ultimately dictate what’s available on that front.
A case can be made for standing pat and adding via the buyout market (there’s an open roster spot) given how cohesive this group looks right now. There’s still one more month for that to be evaluated. However, this no longer feels like a gap year for this group. This group is surpassing expectations and has been doing so now for a sustained stretch. There are holes to fill, but the depth chart is in even better shape than anyone could have imagined three months ago.
Before the season started, it was fair to wonder whether any in-season moves would probably be more about the future than the present. Now, the present needs to be taken into serious consideration by Stevens, as this group has earned that validation with their play. That development sets the stage for a fascinating next month leading into the Feb. 5 trade deadline.