A Few Simple Explanations for this Frustrating Boston Celtics Season

After getting dismantled for the last four games against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Boston Celtics of the 2018–19 NBA season are officially past-tense. The Bucks await the Raptors or Sixers in the East Finals.

May this version of the Celtics rest in peace now that the turmoil has subsided…though it won’t officially subside until early July, but we won’t have to swim through the mucky water of the ESPN/TNT talking heads.

By the end of July, Danny Ainge will be back from the minor heart attack he suffered (perhaps his health is directly connected to the drama that unfolded on and off the court). By the end of July, Brad Stevens will have a sense of who he’s coaching next year. By the end of July, Kyrie Irving will likely be a former-Celtic. As for Durant and where he ends up, my instinct says away from the Bay Area. Meanwhile, Durant’s calf strain will likely tilt the West Semis in the Rockets favor — -oh, how perfectly full circle after the Rockets lost Chris Paul upon going up 3–2 in last year’s Warriors-Rockets series.

These odd Celtics one final write-up to give some context to the team that *everyone* thought would make the East Finals/NBA Finals when the season tipped-off.

Consensus Thinking, Credit and Blame, Loyalty and Laundry

Pundits love to think in a hierarchical fashion. Historically and currently. Rankings. Lists. Data-driven analytics. Who’s at the top? Who deserves the credit? Who…