This was supposed to be the season these Celtics took one final step forward and hang banner 18. Last June, Boston reached the NBA Finals, only to fall to a more disciplined and relentless team.
In the wake of that loss, all the right words came out of the Boston locker room about lessons learned. This season, the Celtics lost in the Eastern Conference Finals to a more disciplined and relentless team.
Boston’s Game 7 elimination on their home court is the kind of loss that makes a franchise re-evaluate itself. It’s also a loss that summed up much of the Celtics’ season: Inconsistent play, struggles when their 3-point shots didn’t fall, and a defense that was strong in the regular season but struggled in the playoffs.
Now the Celtics head into the offseason with big questions about what is required to take that finals step. The answers will be likely to essentially run it back.