
The theme of this season for the Boston Celtics is sacrifice. They boast the NBA’s most talented top six. Maximizing that advantage has required them to embrace whatever role each game requires of them.
A prime example is Jayson Tatum’s steadfast commitment to making the right play regardless of what’s asked of him. In Sunday’s series opener, the Miami Heat repeatedly sent a second defender at him to limit his impact as a scorer.
But while that type of approach was paramount to Boston amassing a 64-18 record, the best mark in the Association this season, putting the collective first, coupled with the Celtics’ talent, has done them no favors on the NBA Awards ballot.
Not a single player on the team that ranked first in plus-minus rating (11.3), scored the most points per 100 possessions (122.2), allowed the second-fewest per 100 possessions (110.6), and had the best net rating (11.7) in the regular season is even a finalist for an individual accolade.
That extends to head coach Joe Mazzulla, arguably the biggest snub of the group.
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