Forgive me for looking ahead. But after the Celtics' 123-101 Game 5 win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night at the TD Garden, that's all I can do.
The C's now lead the series 3-2. Game 6 is Friday night in D.C. I fully expect a Game 7 to be necessary, back here in Boston on Monday night.
But when I say I'm looking ahead, I'm looking further than Game 7. I'm looking at the Eastern Conference Finals, against a fully rested Cleveland Cavaliers team that's swept both the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors in the first two rounds.
There are a few problems with that, however. For starters, the Celtics still have to defeat the Wizards one more time before they can even begin thinking about their next opponent. The next issue is the Cavaliers, and the unstoppable force that LeBron James is once again, as he looks to advance to his seventh straight NBA Finals.
All of it combined, and I think to myself, we know how this one is going to end.
Look, I hope I'm wrong. But if we want to deal with reality, then reality is that the Celtics are missing a piece to the puzzle. And it's not a small piece, either. It's another elite scorer. That will be the downfall for this year's Celtics team.
So when I do look ahead to the Eastern Conference Finals after a huge Game 5 win in the second round, I see disappointment on the horizon, because I can't help but think, what if.
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What if the Celtics had another elite scorer to go along with Isaiah Thomas? Well, it would look kind of like Game 5 against the Wizards. Avery Bradley scored 29 points in 30 minutes. He was 12-of-19 from the field and 4-of-7 from three-point range. Combined with 19 points from Al Horford, 18 points from Jae Crowder, and another 18 from Thomas, the Celtics benefited greatly in Game 5 from their secondary scoring.
Secondary to Thomas, of course.
He's the guy the Celtics look to, offensively, every single night. When he has an off-night or if he's getting swarmed the entire game, Thomas looks for someone else to step up and score. While Game 5 saw a promising response from guys like Bradley, Horford, and Crowder, the inconsistency in which you see it will be the thing that ends the Celtics' season, especially against a dominant Cavaliers team that you'll need to find a way to keep up with.
This isn't anything we don't already know. And the Celtics' organization knows it too. That's why they showed plenty of interest in acquiring someone like Jimmy Butler or Paul George at this year's trade deadline.
Bradley's 29 points in Game 5 against the Wizards was a breath of fresh air. Those kind of consistent offensive performances from guys not named Thomas would make the C's a contender. Not just for the Eastern Conference, but for the NBA Championship.
Thomas may very well lead the Celtics to a win or two over Cleveland in the Conference Finals. But he can't walk on water. He's going to need some more offensive help to knock off LeBron. And he might not get that until the off-season.
So, please, forgive me for looking ahead, perhaps even as far ahead as next season. Right now, that's all I can do.
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