Depending on how you value wins versus lower end squads this perch may seem too low. Boston’s seven game win streak while impressive comes against all sub .500 teams. Three more games feature two lower tier teams and the plummeting Pistons.
Even during this win streak if Kyrie Irving doesn’t deliver heat check performances in a couple the Celtics don’t get the “W”. And, even though the Celtics are among the six squads with records above .500 on both the road and at home the numbers are slightly misleading.
Case in point, at the end of week 7, Boston’s road record was 8-7. Yet, in those eight victories, the only seeded teams they beat were the OKC Thunder and Detroit Pistons. In contrast, the Raptors, for example, haven’t just won on the road they’ve won all six games on the opposite coast and three back to back set.
Boston Celtics:
Offensive Rating: 20th (11th)
Defensive Rating: 2nd
Net Differential: 3rd (jumped four spots much to do with a shellacking of Bulls)
Points per game: 110.3 (tied 14th)
Offensive field goal efficiency: 45.3 percent (20th)
Opponent points per game: 102.9 (3rd)
Opponent field goal efficiency: 43.6 percent (1st)
Record: 5th in EC
Home: 7-3
Road: 8-7
Back to back sets: 4
Versus the East: 11-5
Versus the West: 4-5
Week eight 2-0: Wins Knicks and absolutely demolished Bulls 133-77
On tap for week 9: vs. Pelicans, @Wizards, Hawks, @Pistons