Don’t discount Celtics even with Irving out
Let’s make one thing clear: The Celtics need Kyrie Irving in order to contend for an NBA championship. So Thursday’s news that the star point guard needs season-ending surgery on his troublesome left knee makes their title chances near impossible.
But Boston’s 2017-18 campaign isn’t a lost cause, and it’s far from finished. Overcoming the odds just so happens to be this team’s specialty.
After a “minimally invasive” knee procedure March 24 that was expected to keep him out for at least three to six weeks, Irving is going under the knife again this weekend to remove two screws from a procedure in 2015.
The Celtics are also missing Marcus Smart (thumb surgery, hopeful to return for a potential second-round series) and Daniel Theis (knee surgery, out for season) and, since Irving went down, have seen Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Marcus Morris and Shane Larkin on the injury report as well. Not to mention Gordon Hayward, whose seasonending ankle injury suffered on opening night was just the beginning of this team’s woes.
The good news?
The Celtics are 12-6 this season without Irving — a promising number with the playoffs looming. They’re essential- ly locked into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, three games behind Toronto and five games ahead of both Cleveland and Philadelphia. Their firstround opponent has yet to be determined, but it will likely be Miami, Milwaukee or Washington. Even undermanned, this resilient group could very well beat any of those teams.
“We’ve got guys who are very bought into the team,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens told USA TODAY earlier this season. “Sometimes, they play a lot. Sometimes, they don’t play at all. That’s really hard to play that role, but it’s really rewarding to be a teammate of people who embrace and accept. We all benefit
from their attitudes. Our guys have a great attitude and perseverance and really good poise.”
The Celtics, who boast an NBA-best defensive rating (101.4 points allowed per
100 possessions), have maintained that status since Irving last played on March
11, posting a defensive rating of 101.3 during that span. Their offense has predict- ably faltered, dropping from 16th to 24th, but Stevens has navigated injury-riddled waters to steer this group clear of the mayhem that is the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
It helps to have veterans such as Greg Monroe, Horford and Morris to offset Irving’s scoring loss.
But backup guard Terry Rozier is the one who has really blossomed, and the Celtics’ playoff fortunes might hinge on the No. 16 pick from the 2015 draft.
In 13 starts this season, Rozier is averaging 17.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.8 as- sists, 1.3 steals and 41.7% from threepoint range. His plus-minus (+5.2) as a starter is the highest of any Celtics player this season (minimum of 10 games), as is his net rating (+8). His usage has skyrocketed as well, as he ranks fourth in the NBA with 90.3 touches per game since Irving last played — up from the 52 pergame touches he averaged before.
Before the team’s current two-game skid, Rozier orchestrated a six-game winning streak, with four of those wins coming against playoff teams. During that streak, in a win over Sacramento, he be- came the first player to record 30 points, eight three-pointers, five rebounds and five steals in a game.
“The best thing about our team is our young guys,” Morris told reporters Wednesday. “They’ve stepped into a role where they’re basically veterans. ... We’ve got Terry Rozier, didn’t start any games, and now he’s a premier guy in this league and he’s showing he can play.”
Without Irving, the Celtics aren’t as talented. But discount them at your own risk, and keep in mind what Stevens has already done with this roster.