After one of the worst seasons in franchise history (25-57 in 2013-14), the Celtics went shopping for a new head coach and landed on a very talented Brad Stevens who was running a top NCAA program at Butler University. In his first year with the Celtics, the team showed improvement, ending up with a respectable record of 40-42 while squeezing into the playoffs. Regardless of expectations from the fans, Stevens was surely looking for nothing more than continued improvement coming into the 2015-2016. With a little more than half the season in the books, it seems safe to say the Celtics have indeed made that next step forward. With a current record of 27-22, they are ranked #6 in the Eastern Conference with a reasonably good chance of making the playoff. …show more content…
After moving out to a half-time lead of 54-47, the team had a bit of a letdown in the second half and ended up losing a close one 119-114 in a high scoring affair. With the teams deadlocked at the end of the third quarter, the Magic went on a 18-2 run to take the lead by 11, 113-102 late in the fourth. In the last minute of the game, the Celtics closed furiously to get within 3 at 117-114 before succumbing. While the loss broke the Celtics' 5-game winning streak, the team fought valiantly and showed incredible fortitude in trying to fight back when all seemed lost. With this kind of an effort, the team has matured into a team on the rise. They don't necessarily have a superstar, but they match up very well with Head Coach Stevens' coaching style. He teaches team play and tenacity and that is exactly what this team has been delivering on a nightly basis. As a case in point, any one of 4-5 players can lead this team in scoring on a given night. That's a rare commodity in the NBA and something Boston fans are growing to