Celtics Mailbag: Midseason grades, potential roster tweaks and more

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Celtics Mailbag: Midseason grades, potential roster tweaks and more originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The midway point of the 2024-25 season is in sight and the Celtics’ up-and-down play has readers pondering all sorts of tweaks. Let’s dive right into your questions in our latest mailbag:

Near the halfway mark of the NBA season, what overall grade do you give the Celtics for their efforts and record so far? And what, if anything, needs improvement? — @MrEd315 on X

Before we reveal our grade, let’s emphasize a few key facts:

The Celtics are 28-11 with a +9.5 net rating this season. One year ago, they were 30-9 with a +9.8 net rating.

One year ago, Boston owned the best record in basketball by 2.5 games. This season, the Celtics are 5.5 games back of East-leading Cleveland and 4.5 games behind West-leading Oklahoma City. The Cavaliers and Thunder both could flirt with 70-win seasons; the Celtics are currently on pace to fall short of 60 wins.

One year ago, Boston’s preferred starting five had played 336 minutes together over 21 appearances and owned a +16.5 net rating. This season, Boston’s starting group of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White, and Jrue Holiday have played 138 total minutes with a net rating of an impossibly low minus-8.9.

Through the first 39 games last season, Boston’s top eight players had missed a total of 28 games, with the frontcourt tandem of Al Horford (six) and Kristaps Porzingis (10) accounting for more than half of that total. This season, Boston’s top eight has missed 56 games, with Horford and Porzingis absent for a combined 31 games.

With all that said, the Celtics get a B- for the first half of the 2024-25 season.

The eye test does not match what the advanced numbers suggest. In a way, that’s encouraging. If the Celtics’ starters get back to their normal ways; if Boston eliminates some lapses in defensive consistency; if a few more 3-pointers start falling; and if opponents stop having career nights inside TD Garden; then Boston ought to dominate the second half of the season.

Coming off a championship season, the Celtics entered the 2024-25…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/celtics-mailbag-midseason-grades-potential-173606359.html

Author : NBC Sports Boston

Publish date : 2025-01-14 17:36:00

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