After dropping the season opener by 14 points to division rival Philadelphia, the Celtics ran off 10-consecutive wins include victories over the Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks. Despite a one-point loss to the Kings in their last game, the Celtics are off to a 10-2 start, tops in the Eastern Conference.
It’s nearly impossible to keep up the pace of an .833 winning percentage, even with a healthy roster. The task becomes nearly impossible without one of the top pieces. That’s what the Celtics face in the absence of Gordon Hayward, who is out six weeks after undergoing surgery last week on his left hand.
So can the Celtics stay on top of the conference with Hayward out? Boston has plenty of offensive fire, led by Kemba Walker and his 23.8 points per game, followed by Jaylen Brown at 20.1 per contest and Jayson Tatum at 19.7 per game. It’s still difficult to make up for Hayward’s 19 points and seven rebounds per contest.
One who could step up is Marcus Smart, who is averaging 11.4 points and hitting 38 percent from beyond the arc. Power forwards Enes Kanter (8.2 points, six rebounds) and Daniel Theis, who is averaging over 10 points in the last three games, could pick up the slack.
With Hayward projected back around the beginning of the new year, the Celtics have nine road and ten home games on their schedule until that time. Their current road trip has them facing a tough trio in the surprising Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Clippers. Other tough match ups include Toronto twice, Philadelphia, Denver at home, and the Indiana Pacers.
A tough schedule ahead without one of their top players, the Celtics are likely to come back to the pack. However they still have enough talent to stay in contention in the Atlantic Division, poised to battle the 76ers and Raptors in the new year for playoff positioning.
