Boston Celtics Schedule Breakdown and Record Predictions for February
After a series of asset-minded trades, the Boston Celtics have made themselves one of the league’s more talent-poor teams. Still, a creampuff February schedule means they are in an interesting position.
The C’s have an easy slate and the opportunity to notch some solid wins if they want, but that could undermine the tanking process that fits the team better in the long term.
Boston has gotten off to a solid start in February, notching wins over the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets and a close loss to the Miami Heat.
Jared Sullinger has excelled. Jae Crowder has provided a lift, and Avery Bradley has been dynamite offensively. In addition, Brad Stevens has had the team well-prepared going into games.
In the end, the month of February might not tell us too much about the rest of the Celtics season, but it’ll be nice to see Boston rack up a few easy wins.
Feb. 6-12
1 of 5
Feb. 1 vs. Miami (loss)
Feb. 3 vs. New York Knicks (win)
Feb. 4 vs. Denver Nuggets (win)
Feb. 6 vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Feb. 7 at Milwaukee Bucks
Feb. 11 vs. Atlanta Hawks
Notable Matchup: at Milwaukee Bucks
Very quietly, the Philadelphia 76ers have begun to resemble a legitimately competent basketball team.
They have won three of five games, including respectable wins over the Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons.
Michael Carter-Williams has shined recently as a facilitator, and Hollis Thompson has provided a spark off the pine.
Still, they rank 30th in the league at 89.8 points per game and have yet to prove that they can win on the road.
The Atlanta Hawks game should be a blowout, as the Hawks are among the league’s best teams and have a historically lethal offense.
Their shooting will stretch out Boston’s defense, and players like Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap will get to the rim and finish with ease.
The Hawks average 103.3 points per game (sixth in the league), and there is just no way that the C’s, with their lack of rim protection, will prevent Atlanta from scoring at will.
The most interesting matchup is with the surging Milwaukee Bucks, who have won five in a row including games against the Portland Trail Blazers and Toronto Raptors.
Boston isn’t equipped to deal with the length and depth of the Bucks, who can rely on a wealth of different players from game to game.
On some nights, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s passing instincts and driving ability are enough, and other times Khris Middleton or Brandon Knight get hot from the perimeter and carry the offense.
The Celts have trouble dealing with length as it is, and Jason Kidd has the Bucks playing a terrifically frenetic brand of defense. They rank fourth in the league in points allowed at 96.6 and allow opponents to shoot just 43.5 percent from the floor and 31.4 percent from distance.
Boston has picked up some decent road wins, but going into Milwaukee and stealing a win would be huge for this young squad.
In the end, though, the Bucks have too much talent on both ends to lose to the C’s.
Record: 1-2
Feb. 13-19: All-Star Break
2 of 5
It’s hardly a surprise, but Boston failed to place a player on the 2015 Eastern Conference All-Star roster.
Kelly Olynyk did manage to get in the Rising Stars game though, so the C’s at least have some representation in New York.
Still, the All-Star break will hopefully be a time for the team to get some practice in and get rest before the most brutal slog of the regular season approaches.
Feb. 20-26
3 of 5
Feb. 20 at Sacramento Kings
Feb. 22 at Los Angeles Lakers
Feb. 23 at Phoenix Suns
Feb. 25 vs. New York Knicks
Notable Matchup: at Phoenix Suns
Boston comes out of the All-Star break on a manageable Western Conference road trip.
The Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns are hardly a murderers' row, even though the Suns are playing solid basketball right now.
Phoenix has one of the elite offenses in the league, ranking fourth at 106.6 points per game, and it is seventh in field-goal percentage at 46.4.
The Suns jack up 26.7 three-pointers per game (third in the NBA) and have the kind of uptempo offense that should give the Celtics defense fits.
Boston will get good shots against Phoenix’s shoddy defense, but it will have a hard time covering the Suns’ point guard trio of Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas, particularly when all three play together.
The C’s have two strong perimeter defenders in Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley, but they lack a reliable third option.
Markieff Morris, who has been electric lately, will also pose a problem with his versatility. Without Jeff Green, Boston lacks an athletic combo forward to cover a player like Morris.
The C’s have already blown out Sacramento once before in a 106-84 New Year’s Eve rout.
First-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins is going to be a load for a Boston team that allows opposing centers a 19.1 player efficiency rating, per 82games.
Still, the Kings will need solid contributions from Rudy Gay and Darren Collison if they want to stifle Boston.
Los Angeles has some intriguing pieces, but it is missing Kobe Bryant, who just had shoulder surgery, and its defense is abhorrent.
L.A. ranks 29th in points allowed at 105.9 and 28th in opponent's field-goal percentage at 46.5 percent.
Athletic big men like Jordan Hill (who is currently out with a wrist injury but should be back by this game) and Ed Davis could give the Boston frontcourt some trouble, but these wounded Lakers don’t have enough juice to beat the fundamentally sound Celts.
Losing Bryant has clearly hurt L.A.’s morale, as it is just 1-9 in its last 10 games including a demoralizing double-digit loss to the New York Knicks.
The C’s recently handled New York on the road, and even though the Knicks have finally shown some signs of life, Boston should put them away at TD Garden.
Carmelo Anthony will get his points, and Langston Galloway has added some much needed life in their decrepit backcourt, but the Knicks are still woefully thin across the board.
Record: 2-2
Feb. 27-28
4 of 5
Feb. 27 vs. Charlotte Hornets
Notable Matchup: vs. Charlotte Hornets
After a slow start, the Charlotte Hornets have rounded into shape and emerged as an elite defensive team with enough offense to scrape by.
They currently rank fifth in points allowed per game at 96.9 and hold opponents to 44 percent shooting from the floor.
Charlotte has gone 7-3 in its last 10 games and climbed back into the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
The Hornets offense is ghastly, but Kemba Walker may be back from a sprained ankle by then, and Brian Roberts is a more-than-capable replacement.
This game will be ugly, but ultimately Boston just doesn’t have the offense to overcome the Hornets’ stingy defense.
This contest could well wind up in the low 70s, but it should go to the much-improved Hornets.
Record: 0-1
Overall
5 of 5
February is not a particularly brutal month for Boston, and despite the C’s talent deficit, they should hover right around the .500 mark.
They have a reasonable Western Conference road trip and play a slate of mediocre Eastern Conference teams to boot.
The Celts' lack of elite talent guarantees a few ugly losses, but Stevens has Boston executing at a high enough level that they should feast on struggling opponents.
Ultimately, the month of February won’t have much of an impact on Boston’s long-term plan. It will still be well below .500 and hovering around the bottom of the playoff picture as it has been all season.
Don’t rule out a rotation player like Brandon Bass being dealt, which could weaken the team. This should be a forgettable month in what will be an unremarkable campaign.
Final Record: 5-6
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