Four More Wins: The Story of the 2021-2022 Boston Celtics

 

        The story of the 2021-2022 Boston Celtics is very Shakespearian, even for a sports team. To recap how these Celtics and this version of the team is in the NBA Finals, just four wins away from a championship, we’ll have to rewind. I’m going to recap every event that led into this NBA Finals appearance for the Boston Celtics, where they have a golden opportunity to nab their eighteenth Larry O’Brien Trophy. To begin, we start a decade from today (give or take a couple of days).

June 9th, 2012

2012 Eastern Conference Finals Game 7: Heat 101, Celtics 88

We begin with the final swansong of an old dynasty. After going up 3-2, LeBron James had two straight historic performances to send his team to the 2012 NBA Finals. Everybody remembers Game Six, where LeBron arguably played the best game of his career, but his 31 points and 12 rebounds in Game Seven were the true death blow to the original Big Three. This was the final time that Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen would ever share the floor as teammates. After Ray Allen’s departure to Miami in the 2012 offseason, the Celtics really had no shot against them in 2012-13. Compounded by an injury to Rajon Rondo, the Celtics couldn’t do much and following a playoff exit to the Knicks, the Celtics felt lost. In the wake of an aging core, injured star, and a closing window, in the 2013 offseason, the Celtics would make a trade that would forever change the trajectory of the franchise.

June 28th, 2013

Celtics trade Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry to the Brooklyn Nets for Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, Tornike Shengelia, Reggie Evans, Keith Bogans, 2014 1st Round Pick, 2016 1st Round Pick, 2017 1st Round Pick Swap, and a 2018 1st Round Pick

The Celtics were finished, everyone thought. They had fully committed to a tank. Many expected a reload around Rajon Rondo, but no, they went full tank. These next few Celtics teams would be terrible, but for the future, the Celtics were set. Five valuable first-round picks. Nobody had yet adopted the current Oklahoma City strategy, as this was just before Sam Hinke would make “The Process” iconic in Philadelphia. Only the Celtics knew what they were doing, but with Rondo still in town, how could this team possibly tank? The pieces of the future weren’t yet clear, but soon everything would come into focus.

June 26th, 2014

Celtics draft Oklahoma State Guard, Marcus Smart, 6th Overall

After a season that Rajon Rondo barely played and where Jeff Green led the team in scoring, the Celtics were terrible, to say the least. This was good enough to snag Marcus Smart at six. He was a projected 1st overall pick in 2013, but because he chose to stay in college for another year, the crop of prospects in the 2014 class had eclipsed him. Although it made little sense to bulk up at guard when Rondo is already on the team and star Kentucky big Julius Randle is on the board, everything would soon make sense. For these first couple years following the Big Three breakup, the key for the Celtics was patience.

December 18th, 2014

Celtics trade Rajon Rondo and Dwight Powell to the Dallas Mavericks for Jae Crowder, Brandan Wright, Jameer Nelson, a 2015 conditional 1st round pick, and a 2016 2nd round pick

Seeming to commit even more to the tank, the Celtics finally ditched Rondo. They were committing even further to a tank. After one season of losing, it felt like the Celtics had only gotten astronomically further away from contention. Boston’s days of star power and winning felt miles away. In January of 2015, the Celtics would deal away their leading scorer Jeff Green for more useless assets. For a while, it really seemed like they wouldn’t contend for a long time. All they had were picks, Smart, Avery Bradley, and Jae Crowder. However, at the 2015 trade deadline, everything would change.

February 19th, 2015

Celtics acquire Isaiah Thomas from the Phoenix Suns in a three-team trade

Then, suddenly, in what seemed like an instant: it happened. A small trade that no one thought of as major at the time, turned out to be the saving grace of the Boston Celtics. For Marcus Thornton and a 2016 Cleveland 1st round pick, the Celtics would acquire their first All-Star since Rajon Rondo. His ejection in his first game as a Celtic showed the intensity to come. He would lead the Celtics to a playoff appearance where they got swept by Cleveland and LeBron in the first round, but the end of this season was just a sign that the best was yet to come.

February 16th, 2016

Isaiah Thomas makes his All-Star Game debut in Toronto

At the 2016 All-Star break, the Celtics sat in 3rd place in the East at 32-23, far beyond what anyone would have expected following the Rondo trade, which was just over a year prior. Back in playoff contention, Isaiah Thomas had blossomed. Thomas would end the year averaging 22.2 points and 6.2 assists. Although the Celtics would end the year as the fifth seed and eventually fall at the hands of the fourth seed Atlanta Hawks, even more help was coming in the 2016 offseason. 

June 23rd, 2016

Celtics draft California Forward, Jaylen Brown, 3rd Overall

Seen as a bit of a project, the Celtics finally cashed in on the best of their Nets’ picks by selecting Jaylen Brown. While he seemed very raw in his first season in Boston, he would become a huge piece of the future of the Boston Celtics. The Celtics now had an established backcourt of Thomas and Bradley and two young studs in Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown. All they were missing was a true presence up front. Later that summer, they would find not only their perfect big man but the definition of what it means to be a Boston Celtic.

July 2nd, 2016

Celtics sign Al Horford to a 4 year, $113 million contract

This was the biggest signing in Celtic history up to this point. Every Celtic legend had either been acquired via draft or trade. This was the first instance of the Celtics utilizing free agency to make their team better and it would certainly not be the last. How would the additions of Horford and Brown affect the team? That would be very clear right away during the 2016-2017 season.

April 15th, 2017

Celtics enter playoffs as top seed, Isaiah Thomas receives MVP votes

After a season that saw Isaiah Thomas pair perfectly with Bradley, Crowder, Horford, and Smart, the Celtics entered the playoffs as the number one seed. Isaiah averaged 28.9 points per game and made his second straight All-Star game. He had notable moments across the board, including his 52 points against the Heat and a 53-point playoff game dedicated to his late sister, Chyna, later that year. The Celtics tasted victory against the Bulls and Wizards and would enter the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2012 against a very familiar opponent. 

May 25th, 2017

Celtics are eliminated in the ECF by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 5 games

Even before Isaiah Thomas went down in Game 2 with an injury that would keep him out well into the 2018 season, the Celtics never had a chance. They were too raw and too young. Nobody even thought they would get a game off of the defending champions. The series saw fun moments, but none more fun than an Avery Bradley game-winner that gave the Celtics momentary hope. The most important part of the series might have happened when everyone had tuned out. In a blowout game two, Jaylen Brown dropped 19 points against Cleveland’s starters. Although it was just a flash, it was something to build on and boy would the Celtics build in the 2017 offseason.

June 22nd, 2017

Celtics draft Duke Forward, Jayson Tatum, 3rd Overall

Once again cashing in from the Nets trade, the Celtics picked Jayson Tatum with their second straight third overall pick. The Celtics already had a young Jay and now they had another. Maybe these two could be pretty good together, they thought. It’d make for some good marketing. The Celtics would soon find out that these two were going to be the faces of the franchise, but like before, patience is key. They weren’t yet done adding pieces…

July 4th, 2017 and August 30th, 2017

Celtics sign Gordon Hayward to a 4 year, $128 million contract and trade Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, Brooklyn’s 2018 1st round pick, and a Miami 2nd round pick to Cleveland for Kyrie Irving

In July, a long-rumored move finally went down. Gordon Hayward was a Celtic. The All-Star Utah forward had been linked to Celtics’ head coach Brad Stevens, as they were together at Butler, where Hayward played in college. The scoring wing that the Celtics needed was here. Following this, in a shocker, the Celtics weren’t done. They would acquire a disgruntled Kyrie Irving from their rival Cavaliers but in exchange, would give up the fan-favorite who brought them back into contention by giving up Isaiah Thomas. Without a new contract and being injured, it felt like a betrayal. They would also give up the final pick from the Nets trade, metaphorically capping off their rebuild from their last championship push. With Irving, Hayward, and Horford, there was no stopping them. So, how’d those three do?

October 17th, 2017

Celtics lose opener to the Cavaliers, Hayward breaks ankle

 

Kevin Harlan really summed it up on air when he exclaimed how “that is how quickly a season can change”. Hayward was gone, for at least the season. It was one of the most gruesome injuries in sports history, just five minutes into his Celtics career. The Celtics season was done, or so some thought. Others would need to step up, but the Celtics were deep. New acquisitions Marcus Morris and Aron Baynes highlighted an improved Celtics roster. The improvement of Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier provided the Celtics with two more starting-caliber players. Oh yeah, and there was that Tatum kid, he was pretty damn good.

April 14th, 2018

Celtics enter playoffs as the 2nd seed, Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward ruled out for the entirety of the playoffs

Following Hayward’s injury, the Celtics dominated. Led by Irving and Horford, the young Jays stepped up big time. Tatum made the All-Rookie first team and Jaylen Brown proved to be more than just an athletic dunker. They had a star point guard, a solid big, and two dynamic scoring wings. However, without Irving, nobody gave them a chance. Yet, once again, somebody stepped up. Terry Rozier finally broke out. Rozier, Horford, the Jays,  and the Celtics defeated Giannis, Drew Bledsoe, and the Bucks in seven games before storming into round two against another quick rebuild in the Philadelphia 76ers. This was the series where nobody gave the Celtics a chance. Embiid and Simmons? More like young Magic and Kareem. There was no shot they could take down the Rookie of the Year and a star big. Yet, they didn’t just win, they dominated. The Celtics won in five games and looked to head into the conference finals against…LeBron and the Cavs, again.

May 27th, 2018 

Celtics fall in 7 games to LeBron and the Cavs in the ECF

Although the Cavs were shorthanded, LeBron was too much for a rookie Tatum and second-year Jaylen Brown. There were the moments, like Tatum’s dunk on LeBron or Jaylen Brown’s first two games, but it wasn’t enough. There was a feeling of disappointment, but this team was well ahead of schedule. Surely, they’d get Hayward and Irving back, have another year of development for the Jays and Rozier, and be back, right? Right?

July 1st, 2019 through July 6th, 2019

Kyrie Irving signs with Brooklyn after a disappointing season, Celtics sign and trade Terry Rozier for Kemba Walker, Al Horford signs with Philadelphia 

So that fully healthy group didn’t really work out. There were truly too many cooks in the kitchen. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum often came off of the bench, Rozier had his touches taken away, and the team never meshed. Hayward never looked healthy coming back from injury and the Celtics floundered into the fourth seed. In a LeBron-less east, they still couldn’t win. After an easy sweep of Indiana, they went into Milwaukee and actually won a game. After getting their hopes up, Kyrie quit on the team. He immediately focused on free agency. Their star who wanted to stay forever was gone. In the wake of it all, they lost Horford. After his touches were taken away, they lost Rozier to Charlotte. Kemba Walker was the real only addition. However, the Celtics went for more of the addition by subtraction.

July 31st, 2020

COVID-19 Pandemic causes need for the Bubble, Celtics enter hot following Tatum and Kemba’s All-Star appearances

Following the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak, the NBA invested $190 million into the Disney World Bubble in Orlando. The Celtics had two All-Stars (Tatum, Walker) and three 20+ point scorers (Tatum, Walker, Brown) entering the playoffs. They went 5-3 in the qualifying games and entered the playoffs as the third seed. They swept the 76ers, outlasted the Raptors in seven games, and were set to take on the Heat. They were heavily favored against the fifth-seeded Miami Heat.

September 27th, 2020

Celtics upset by Heat in the 2020 ECF in 6 games

After blowing leads in games one and two, the Celtics finally got a win in game three. Entering game four, they knew they needed a win. They needed Al Horford, as Bam Adebayo was running Daniel Theis and Enes Kanter off of the floor. In a thriller, game four turned into the Tyler Herro game, as he would put up 37 points. They won game five, but couldn’t even force a game seven, as the Heat went onto the finals. 

November 1st, 2020

Gordon Hayward opts out of contract, signed and traded to Charlotte

 

After injury and disfunction, the last of the Irving-Hayward-Horford tandem was gone. Hayward was the definitive fourth option after Tatum, Brown, and Walker and because of his desired pay grade, it didn’t make sense for Boston to pay the injury-prone forward $120 million dollars. They would miss his offensive presence, but it was better that they ditched his money anyways. 

March 7th, 2021

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown play in the All-Star Game

 

In the midst of a disappointing injury-riddled season, the Celtics sent both the Jays to the All-Star Game for the first time. Along with Robert Williams III, both Tatum and Brown were blossoming on a flailing COVID-ridden team. Kemba was hurt and although it was the right move to let Hayward go, they missed him badly. They would have the two All-Stars but limped into the play-in as the seventh seed without Brown and a healthy Walker. The season was not without its moments, though. Tatum dropped 60 against San Antonio in a fantastic comeback and had 50 points against the Wizards in the play-in game. Brown even had 42 against Memphis and Philly. However, once again, this year seemed hopeless.

June 1st, 2021

Nets knock off the Celtics in 5 games in the First Round

 

Without Walker and Brown, the Celtics never had a chance, but even if they were good to go? They would’ve lost. This series did for Robert Williams III what the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals did for Jaylen Brown. Williams III showed flashes of greatness in an otherwise lopsided series. Tatum dropped 50 in their only win and the Nets’ big three dominated. There were bottles thrown, mascots injured, mutual respect, and a lot of room for improvement. So, onto the offseason, they went.

June 18th, 2021

Celtics trade Kemba Walker and the 16th pick in the 2021 Draft for Al Horford in a wild offseason of reshuffling

 

After the 2021 season, the Celtics needed to trade Kemba Walker. He had $72 million left on his deal and had only played 43 of 72 games in 2021. He had chronic knee issues and at six foot one, he had to go. They would reacquire Horford, undoing some of the sins of the previous years. They would use a trade exception that went from Hayward to Evan Fournier to now Josh Richardson. They would sign Dennis Schröder and extend Robert Williams. Going into 2022, hopes weren’t high, but they were expected to make a leap. 

June 28th, 2021

Celtics introduce Ime Udoka as Head Coach, Brad Stevens replaces Danny Ainge as General Manager

Needing something to change, Brad Stevens decided to step away from coaching. Brad moved to the front office, replacing a retired Danny Ainge who would eventually unretire to work in Utah. Ime was a player’s hire, as he’d coached Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart on Team USA. He was a longtime assistant, working under Gregg Popovich, and was a first-time head coach. He was naive, which is a good thing. He needed to have the freedom to shake things up and make his own mark. Stevens would be able to take his analytical mind away from coaching and on team building, which he had been so praised for. Going into 2022, there was optimism again.

January 6th, 2022

Celtics blow 24-point lead to the Knicks, lose 108-105 at the buzzer on an RJ Barrett three-pointer, fall to 18-21 on the season

 

After going up 24, the Celtics took their foot off the gas and lost at the buzzer. It was the culmination of a disappointing year. The improvements seemed to make the team worse. The dialogue around the Celtics was that of a rebuild and breaking up the Jays and that maybe they just can’t win together. However, little did everyone know, things were about to change – or shift, I should say.

January 31st, 2022 - 11:32 AM

Jaylen Brown’s Tweet

The season was over. The Celtics were just a game over .500. They had turned things around by a small margin, but the season still felt hopeless. In one keyboard stroke, Jaylen Brown changed everything. Indeed, the energy was about to shift. After this tweet, the Celtics finished the regular season with a record of 25-6, finishing the year with 51 wins and 31 losses, good for the second seed in the Eastern Conference entering the playoffs. How they got their first-round matchup, though, is worth its own highlight.

February 10th, 2022

Trade Deadline brings in Derrick White from the Spurs in exchange for Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford, a 2021 1st round pick, and a 2028 1st round pick swap, and Daniel Theis from the Rockets in exchange for Dennis Schröder, Enes Kanter, and Bruno Fernando

Needing depth at both guard and big, Brad Stevens went to work. Following an active offseason, he cut ties with Schröder and Kanter for Theis and essentially swapped Richardson for White. The others weren’t really rotation guys, as much as Langford tried to be one. This trade sent out methodical offensive scorers for two guys who know Ime and the Celtics and know how to play with pace. The Celtics were winning by playing fast and Schröder, Richardson, and Kanter weren’t that. Going into the playoffs, the Celtics needed to consolidate minutes to higher quality players and this deal did just that.

April 10th, 2022

Celtics play starters vs Grizzlies, win into the 2nd Seed

Entering the final game of the year still playing for seeding, Ime Udoka had a decision to make. He could’ve rested his starters and lost, which would’ve resulted in falling to the fourth seed and giving up home-court advantage, but avoiding the Nets. Or, what he ended up doing, was playing his starters. They won, which locked them into the second seed and a likely matchup with the feared Brooklyn Nets. This was a culture move. To be a great team, you have to beat great teams. As he would later state, the Celtics are a basketball team, not a track team and they’re not running from anybody.

April 17th, 2022 - April 25th, 2022

First Round vs Brooklyn

Going into the Brooklyn series, everyone thought that the Nets would dominate. They had been injured and dealing with controversy, but the talent was there. Following a rout of the Cavs, they looked legit. The Celtics were doubted again, but this time, they would rise to the occasion. 

Game One: 115-114, Celtics win at the buzzer

In the closest game of the series, Jayson Tatum and Kyrie Irving dueled. Kyrie flipped off the crowd, made every shot, but couldn’t close. It looked like an all-time series was in the making after this game. Many who picked the Nets said that the series doesn’t start until a road team wins a game. People who picked Boston used this as proof that they could absorb Brooklyn’s big games. Who would be right? The next three games would prove the latter to be correct.

Game Two: 114-107, Celtics comeback from down 17

The Celtics got down early. They were giving up a run and Kevin Durant looked unstoppable. It looked like the Nets were here. They were forcing turnovers and getting out in transition. However, this game showed the national audience what Boston already knew: you can’t keep these Celtics down. They would come all the way back, behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and won by seven. They’d defended home court, but now came the real test.

Games Three and Four: 109-103 and 116-112, Celtics close out in Brooklyn

I’m combining these two games not just because this piece is already quite the read, but because they showed the same thing. The Celtics are road warriors and close when it matters. Towards the end of these games, the defense bent and didn’t break, proving their elite status. They swept the Nets and became the most feared team in the East. Does it get easier from here? Of course not. Waiting for them in round two were the defending champion, Milwaukee Bucks.

During the Series: April 20th, 2022

Marcus Smart named 2022 Defensive Player of the Year

For the first time since 1996, a guard took home the DPOY, and how fitting for it to be Smart. The gritty, hard-nosed point guard that the Celtics drafted all the way back in 2015 had won the award which was last in Boston via Kevin Garnett. He was embraced by the league and the last guard to win it, Gary Payton. This award was not just an award, but an omen for a franchise cornerstone’s best season.

May 1st, 2022 - May 15th, 2022

Second Round vs Milwaukee

Coming into this series, everyone knew it would be a dogfight. Even without Khris Middleton and largely without Robert Williams III, it would still be close. I’ve separated these games into four different sections, each one showing something different about the Celtics.

Game One: 101-89, Bucks win in Boston

This was the game that set the tone for the entire playoffs for the Celtics. They got turned into a jump-shooting team and were physically outmatched. In short, they were appropriately humbled and they needed it. Games like these would teach them how to respond to pressure against great players. They could never do it against LeBron or Jimmy up to this point, but this taught them how to do it against Giannis.

Games Three and Five: 103-101, 110-107, Bucks win both close games and close

Both of these losses showed the same thing: that the Celtics need to play with urgency when it counts. In game three, they came back from down 14 only to throw away a final possession and miss three point-blank layups at the buzzer. Game five saw them blow a double-digit lead in the final three minutes as they played to avoid a loss and not to win. Following a missed free throw, Bobby Portis put back a layup and the Bucks never looked back. They stole game five at home from the Celtics and they unnecessarily forced themselves to have to respond in game six. In short, these games showed their lack of urgency.

Games Four and Six: 116-108, 108-95, Celtics win close games with their backs against the wall

These two games showed that the Celtics have somewhat remedied their closing issues. In both of these games, that they had to win to avoid going down 3-1 or losing the series, they won. Both close games, both saw big Tatum games. In short, if Tatum is rolling, it doesn’t matter how well anyone else is doing, they’ll win. Also, shout out to Al Horford.

Games Two and Seven: 109-86, 109-81, Celtics dominate wire-to-wire

These two games showed that the Celtics can both win when it matters and set the tone when they’re hitting shots. Both games saw the Celtics make over 20 threes, including 22 in game seven. The makes from deep open up the rest of the offense and we’d see more of a mix in styles when they were forced to mix it up in the Eastern Conference Finals. Speaking of the Eastern Conference Finals, would it get any easier there? They’ve already taken out KD, Kyrie, Jrue Holiday, and Giannis. There’s no way that there’s more. Oh wait, this is the Celtics. Up next: Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and those pesky top-seeded Miami Heat.

May 17th - May 29th

Eastern Conference Finals vs Miami

Heading into the Miami series, nerves were high because everyone knew what was at stake. This same team had upset the Celtics in 2020 and after their tough road, they didn’t want to beat those teams just to lose to Miami. Jimmy was going to be great, but there was more confidence against Bam. Health didn’t help the Celtics, but it was still winnable. Knowing the stakes, the Celtics showed up.

Games One, Three, and Six:

To talk about the good, first must come the bad. Injuries notwithstanding, these games all showed the similar theme of having one bad quarter and setting themselves back early. In all of these games, they had to play from behind in the fourth quarter. This is not sustainable at this point in the playoffs and no matter how well they might play from behind, it doesn’t matter when you usually lose those games. Losses at this point in the season simply count too much for the Celtics to have dropped these games. Looking back, games like these and the losses in the Milwaukee series in games three and five will be looked back on as games that they should have had. However, these losses aren’t as bad as the wins are good.

Games Two, Four, and Five: 127-102, 102-82, 93-80, Celtics dominate wire-to-wire in the either half

        There isn’t much to say here that weren’t said about their blowout wins versus the Bucks. The only difference here is that they weren’t as reliant on the three for the most part. They attacked the basket, got to the mid-range, and penetrated for open threes. These games showed how the defense can translate to effective offense in closing time.

Game Seven: 100-96, Celtics survive and advance

This game was a weird one. A wire-to-wire game that felt like Miami was leading at some point almost fell apart towards the end. The Celtics never trailed, but don’t get it twisted, this was a heart attack. This game, for as bad as the fourth quarter was, showed that even if the offense is giving up, their defense can absolutely save them. The Heat and Jimmy Butler weren’t missing shots in the last five minutes and when Butler missed the shot, it was Horford’s defensive rebound that saved their season. This game showed their ability to play championship basketball. As bad as the ending might’ve looked, they still closed and they still won. A tidbit about championship basketball: it’s never pretty.

During the Series: May 25th, 2022

Jayson Tatum named to the All-NBA First Team

In what feels like the culmination of everything Celtics in the past decade, Tatum was named to the All-NBA first team, solidifying himself as one of the league’s best. As this team gets ready for the Finals, Tatum being an All-NBA first team player represents his ascension to a superstar.

June 2nd, 2022

Celtics set to take on the Warriors for their 18th Championship

So, here we are. Four more wins. Just four wins away from another championship. Twelve years removed from their last Finals appearance, fourteen from their last championship, they sit four games away. Against a dynastic Warriors team that’s past their prime, the Celtics have a golden opportunity to usher in a Celtic dynasty again. They can usher in a new era of Eastern dominance over the west coast. The patience that they’ve had for years has finally come to fruition. Now, sits another opportunity. That word that’s been used as a crutch for them and as a weapon against them now represents the task at hand. They’ve been to four Conference Finals in the past six years and this is their first Finals. If there’s one message to them when looking back on the past decade of Celtics basketball, it’s to enjoy the moment, but don’t squander the opportunity.

I’ve been a Celtics fan for my entire life and I just want to see them win. They’ve been built up and torn down again and again. I’m just hoping that this time, on this build, that they can finally win it all. The energy shifted and now they have to use it.

Adam Zimmerman-Diaz

IG - @adam.zd