{"numbering":"asc","slides":[{"index":1,"title":"","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2019/04/09/irving_brown_baynes_celtics_bench.jpg","caption":"

BOSTON -- A couple weeks ago, Brad Stevens made it clear what his focus would be for the final 10 games of the regular season, which comes to an end tonight at Washington.

“We are in evaluation stage on who’s reliable,” Stevens told NBC Sports Boston’s Brian Scalabrine at the time. “Like when we get to that moment when we have to know if everyone is going to be on one page doing the exact same thing, who is reliable? Ultimately that’s the end of the story."

Having already secured the No. 4 seed in the playoffs, there's little to gain for Boston in tonight's season finale against the Wizards, a game in which the team's injury report includes just about every player in the team's nine-man rotation. So in terms of Stevens' assessment of who to count on in the playoffs, tonight's game will offer him little insight into that process. Instead, his evaluation will be centered around the last nine games.

With that said, here’s a look at the Stars, Studs and Duds performers for Boston over the last nine games.

"},{"index":3,"title":"The Back Nine Stars","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2019/04/09/al_horford_vs_pacers.jpg","caption":"

Al Horford

Games played: Six (All starts): 17.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists while shooting 59.5 percent from the field, 40.0 percent on 3’s.

Summary: Big Al has come up with one big performance after another down the stretch. The Celtics have made a point of getting him time off every now and then, a good move considering how important he will be to Boston’s plans of making a deep postseason run.

"},{"index":5,"title":"The Back Nine Stars","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2019/04/09/boston-celtics-gordon-hayward-warriors-2019.jpg","caption":"

Gordon Hayward

Games played: Eight (One start; seven games off the bench): 16.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 58.5 percent from the field, 31.6 percent on 3’s.

Summary: There is some hesitancy to go all-in on the "Gordon Hayward’s back to doing pre-injury" things. But there’s no mistaking the level at which he plays at now, is greater than at any point since he has been a Celtic.

"},{"index":7,"title":"The Back Nine Stars","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2019/04/09/kyrie_irving_4119.jpg","caption":"

Kyrie Irving

Games played: Seven (All starts): 22.9 points, 6.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, shooting 44.4 percent from the field, 39.6 percent on 3’s.

Summary: Kyrie Irving’s place as Boston’s go-to guy is in no imminent jeopardy with much of what the Celtics do offensively still flowing through him. The Celtics have carefully managed his minutes, which have been on an uptick in recent weeks. Irving’s ability to control the game's flow, particularly in the fourth quarter where he averages 6.1 points per game, will go far in determining just how far Boston will advance in the playoffs.

"},{"index":9,"title":"The Back Nine Studs","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2019/04/09/jaylen_brown.jpg","caption":"

Jaylen Brown

Games played: Six (All off the bench): 13.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, shooting 51.8 percent from the field, 52.4 percent on 3’s.

Summary: A lower back injury sidelined Brown for three games, but he came back on Sunday and did not miss a beat. Brad Stevens has made no secret about seeing Brown’s greatest value being on the defensive end of the floor in the playoffs. But Brown envisions himself as a two-way player on the rise, a player who can score better than many give him credit for, especially in the fourth quarter when he averages 4.0 points per game, which ranks second on the team.

"},{"index":11,"title":"The Back Nine Studs","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2019/04/09/aron_baynes_celtics.jpg","caption":"

Aron Baynes

Games played: Eight (All starts): 7.3 points, 7.5 rebounds; shooting 52.3 percent from the field, 66.7 percent on 3’s.

Summary: Boston has become a different, far more competitive team since inserting Aron Baynes into the starting lineup eight games ago. He has brought an elite presence to the defense, and he’s become an impact scorer and rebounder which is evident by him tallying three double-doubles in his last five games after having tallied four total all of last season.

"},{"index":13,"title":"The Back Nine Studs","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2019/04/09/jayson_tatum_5.jpg","caption":"

Jayson Tatum

Games played: Eight (All starts): 13.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists; shooting 42.2 percent from the field, 48.4 percent on 3’s.

Summary: The shooting percentage is down from the field as well as his scoring average, but he’s shooting the ball a lot better from 3-point range which will be a huge part of his game in terms of helping the Celtics space the floor in the playoffs.

"},{"index":15,"title":"The Back Nine Duds","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2019/04/09/rozier.jpg","caption":"

Terry Rozier

Games played: Nine (All off the bench): 5.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists; shooting 32.8 percent from the field, 28.1 percent on 3’s.

Summary: It has been a rough stretch lately for Terry Rozier, who serves as Kyrie Irving’s primary backup. The only thing worse than being in a shooting slump, is passing up good looks at the rim when in a shooting slump. Rozier has not let it fly like he used to, something that has to change if he’s going to make the kind of impact that Celtics fans have grown accustomed to in recent years.

"},{"index":17,"title":"The Back Nine Duds","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2019/04/09/marcus_morris_picture_223.jpg","caption":"

Marcus Morris

Games played: Eight (All off the bench): 12.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, shooting 34.4 percent from the field, 32.6 percent on 3’s.

Summary: Morris has been in a deep funk since the All-Star break after being a major cog in keeping Boston afloat during the team’s early-season struggles. To Morris’ credit, he has been a more active performer on the boards. But his greatest impact for this team still lies in his ability to make shots, something he has done little of lately.

"}]}

Evaluating the Back Nine (games) for the Celtics