The Boston Celtics are set to return to action on Thursday night against the Golden State Warriors, and when they do, they will be aiming to close the gap on the Detroit Pistons atop the Eastern Conference standings. With a 35-19 record, the C’s are 5.5 games behind the Pistons, but that doesn’t change the fact that they have managed to blow past their preseason expectations to this point.
Despite being without Jayson Tatum, the Celtics have remained one of the top teams in the entire league. That goes without mentioning that Tatum appears to be closing in on a return to action, although he refuses to reveal whether or not he will play this season. Still, Boston is rolling even without him, and they have held onto the No. 6 spot in NBA insider Brett Siegel’s latest power rankings for ClutchPoints.
“Is Jayson Tatum actually going to come back this season? It sure seems like the All-NBA forward is gearing up to return sometime in March,” Siegel wrote. “The hope of his return has elevated the Celtics’ play lately, and they are right behind the Pistons for the 1-seed in the East.
Aside from owning the third-best point differential in the league this season, the Celtics are allowing just 108.4 points per game to their opponents, trailing only the Thunder’s average of 108.0 opponent points per game.”
If Tatum does end up being able to suit up this season, that will only make the C’s more dangerous, which will likely lead to them moving up a couple of notches on these power rankings. For now, though, they will continue to focus on holding down the fort without Tatum, with tip-off for their return contest against the Warriors being scheduled for 10 p.m. ET on Thursday.
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