We all know the drill by now. It’s championship or bust for the Celtics for the third year in a row. It is clear they are the best team in the NBA, and it appears to finally be time for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (along with a stellar supporting cast) to cut down the nets and hang banner 18 from the rafters at TD Garden. Knowing that they should take care of business this playoff season, here are some situations that might throw a wrench into their duck boat reservations:
Joe Mazzulla Gets Fired:
You’d think Mazzulla would have learned his lesson after last year’s coaching debacle, but if he goes the first two playoff games without calling a single timeout, his days in Boston could be numbered. But don’t panic, Celtics fans. Brad Stevens is running down the escalator now, and he should make it in time for Game 3. In response, the Celtics hire Chaim Bloom as Chief Basketball Operator. Bloom is currently exploring the trade market for Tatum, but that trade will have to wait until after the season so this year’s duck boat reservations are not affected.
Jayson Tatum Gets Injured:
Even though Tatum didn’t have to carry as heavy a load this season with Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday coming to Boston, Mazzulla and the front office must be kicking themselves for not adding enough rest days to his schedule. Unfortunately, the Celtics will have to soldier on without him, as he goes down in Game 1 of the second round with a bruised calf. The Celtics display plenty of character and fight back against “adversity” in the coming rounds, with Derrick White ascending to superstar status and Al Horford averaging 25 points per game. However, they don’t have quite enough gas at the end, losing Game 7 of the Finals to the Clippers and a well-rested Kawhi Leonard.
Referees Go on Strike:
No longer able to tolerate the constant bickering in the NBA, the referees don’t show up to the second round of the playoffs, and chaos ensues. In emergency protocol, each team is instructed to choose one referee for each game. However, since there are three referees on duty for every NBA contest, the lower seed is allowed to elect two referees. Stephen A. Smith goes on several rants about the injustice of this system, but nothing can be done. The Celtics lose in the second round.