Big Changes Celtics Must Make to Compete for NBA Championship in the Playoffs

The Boston Celtics last won an NBA title in 2008, but they've had several cracks at the crown since.

So, you'll have to forgive the franchise if it hasn't submitted an order for celebratory champagne just yet. Yes, the Celtics have as good of a chance as anyone at capturing a championship, but no, that doesn't actually guarantee them anything.

If the Shamrocks are going to seize this opportunity, they need to start mulling the following changes.

Boston's biggest question isn't one the club can answer during the regular season. Will the Celtics handle the biggest moments under the brightest lights better than they have in the past?

On the surface, things look promising, as Boston has posted this season's sixth-highest clutch net rating (plus-18.9, per NBA.com). Peek under the hood, though, and you'll find out why this remains a concern.

The Celtics run the majority of their late-game possessions through All-Star wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Yet, those are the very players who have so often contributed to previous crunch-time misfires, and it's not like they've totally cleaned things up. Tatum is shooting just 31.3 percent from the field (and from three) in the clutch, while Brown has more clutch turnovers (seven) than assists (six).

Boston can't feel obligated to keep things status quo. The Celtics have too many other capable contributors to be this predictable late in games, especially when Kristaps Porziņģis, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White have all made the most of their clutch chances. Each is shooting 50-plus percent from the field and better than 36 percent from range, and together they've tallied 25 assists against just seven turnovers.

The Celtics added Xavier Tillman as a depth piece at the trade deadline, so it isn't entirely shocking that he's been so far unable to secure a regular rotation gig.

Boston might want to rethink that, though.

His defensive versatility figures to make him easier to put in playoff games than Luke Kornet. Even now, the Celtics are already getting better mileage out of Tillman, as they've posted a plus-17.4 net rating over his 75 minutes compared to the plus-8.3 mark they've managed with Kornet.

At the very least, this should be closer to an even split between the bigs with coach Joe Mazzulla letting matchups dictate the minutes. If either backup big is going to have an edge, though, it should be Tillman.

Depth is a real concern with this team. Keeping the top six in this rotation upright should be one, too.

The Celtics' top six (the starters and Al Horford) is as good as any in this league and is the biggest reason why this team deserves to be considered championship favorites. Boston should look to protect that core while it can, though, because it will need major minutes from them come playoff time.

This team is already cruising toward the No. 1 seed in the conference. At some point sooner than later, Boston won't have much to play for beyond personal pride. The Celtics should capitalize on that and try limiting the floor time for their heavyweights as much as possible, in particular Porziņģis, Holiday and Horford, given the first one's injury history and the other two's age.

Boston won't want to let off the gas pedal completely and risk losing all of its momentum, but getting these players fewer minutes per outing and rest days when possible should put this club in the best shape possible for the postseason.