Playoff expectations are the Celtics’ enemy

The phrase “expectations” means various things for various individuals.

For Boston Celtics followers, it means Banner 18. The 64-win Celtics steamrolled via the common season, however none of that issues anymore. A championship was at all times the expectation for this group, and their historic run via 82 video games doesn’t change that.

However for the Celtics themselves, that’s not what it means.

For them, it means not letting vanity get in the way in which of an opportunity at a hoop. Expectations are the antithesis of every thing Boston needs to perform this postseason.

“An important factor heading right into a scenario is having no expectations,” Joe Mazzulla stated. “It’s not alleged to go a sure manner. Should you examine groups which have even been lucky sufficient—if we’re lucky sufficient to even get to a Finals, if not win it—the highway there’s at all times forgotten by the results of successful. And so, it seems to be completely different each single yr.

“There are groups which have had a number of Recreation 7s. There’s a workforce that’s solely misplaced one recreation. There’s a workforce that’s needed to come [back] from down 3-2. Needed to go residence for Recreation 7. It simply doesn’t matter.”

Expectations result in a Trae Younger-led Atlanta Hawks squad successful two first-round video games towards a two-seeded Celtics wanting to get again to the NBA Finals.

Expectations result in Caleb Martin and the Miami Warmth placing the Celtics in a 3-0 gap to begin the convention finals.

Expectations result in an OG Anunoby miracle three-point basket spearheading a Toronto Raptors sequence comeback, forcing Boston right into a seven-game sequence.

Expectations result in the Milwaukee Bucks drowning the Kyrie Irving-led Celtics in Spherical 2 after a red-hot 5-0 begin to the postseason.

Expectations result in failure.

This yr’s Celtics workforce has taken a special strategy. Slightly than trying forward and penciling in an anticipated end result, they stay within the current. Every recreation brings its personal challenges for them to overcome, however as soon as the competition is over, they transfer on.

Win or lose, the earlier recreation strikes into the previous, and the subsequent one—and solely the subsequent one—enters their imaginative and prescient.

Forward of their playoff run, the Celtics have been learning the 2008 championship workforce.

“We regarded on the ‘08 workforce, we regarded on the 2010 Lakers that received the championship, and simply how each path is completely different,” stated Jayson Tatum. “The ‘08 workforce went to 2 Recreation 7s within the first and second spherical. So simply getting us ready. It’s not at all times going to go perhaps how we anticipated or wished it to go. However we gotta be prepared for it.”

The 2008 Celtics didn’t win a highway recreation within the first two sequence they performed. But they nonetheless managed to drag out victories by taking good care of enterprise at residence.

For the previous few seasons, Boston hasn’t taken benefit of their home-court benefit. This common season, they modified their perspective in that regard. They solely misplaced 4 video games at TD Backyard all yr.

To followers, Mazzulla eliminating the thought of expectations might come off because the acceptance of dropping. The willingness to acknowledge dropping as a chance doesn’t resonate with Boston followers, who solely anticipate the most effective. However it’s attainable. And ignoring it’s ignorant.

The Celtics can’t afford ignorance.

The one expectation they settle for is that they can’t have any.

“I do know these issues will likely be utilized to create narratives, however on the finish of the day, there are not any expectations heading in,” Mazzulla stated. “It takes what it takes. Nonetheless lengthy it takes, that’s what we’ve got to have the ability to undergo. And we simply need to have that expectation, is that it takes what it takes.”