Flaws

1. Blowing 1st Half Leads

1st Quarter Point Differential: +98

2nd Quarter Point Differential: +38

3rd Quarter Point Differential: -3

4th Quarter Point Differential: +10

Overtime Point Differential: -8

They definitely need to hold it together in the 2nd half. In their loss against the Magic on 11/24, they got outscored by 25 in the 2nd half! This 2nd half has been concerning last season and this season. Especially in the playoffs, it really hurt them. If they hadn't blown their lead in one of the games against Miami, they would've made it to the Finals. They need to get it together and just simply realize that a dominant first half doesn't win them anything.

2. Passing

Currently, they rank 25th in the league in assists per game. They are able to survive with that right now, but in the playoffs they definitely will need improved passing for better shot-creation. Last season, they ranked 7th in APG. Going from 7th to 25th is a huge regression especially when you were supposed to get better from that aspect. The addition of Jrue Holiday (who averaged 7.4 APG with MIL last year), should have made their passing a lot better, yet they regressed. Hopefully for them, they can pick it up as they develop better chemistry, but it is one of the few concerns that they're shown so far.

3. Injuries

They haven't been inflicted by injuries just yet, but it's very easy to see their roster being depleted by injuries. Porzingis has a very injury-prone history, so it would be no surprise to see him go down. Horford is 37 and Jrue Holiday is 33 years old. When it's playoff time and they have to face a strong team, say the Milwaukee Bucks. The Celtics have been relying on Horford to guard Giannis and it has worked well for them so far. Holiday will be their main hope for containing Damian Lillard, but I guess they also have Derrick White for that. But, containing Giannis will be really tough if injuries hit them at the wrong time.

Season Moves & Plan

The Celtics, believe it or not, still have more picks to trade. This past offseason was definitely a Brad Stevens masterclass. The question is; should they go all-in for a star such as Mikal Bridges? Would you be willing to offer a package such as Derrick White, 2 FRPs, 5 SRPs, and 3 FRP swaps? Probably not. The best solution for the Celtics is to trade for depth pieces. Right now, they don't have any contracts that they are looking to get rid off, so it'll be hard to have the salary necessary for a trade. I do think trading for an Alex Caruso type of player would help them, but the best solution might be to wait out the season and just hope that this group continues to cook.

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