The Boston Celtics' 2018-19 season has been a disappointment to date.
That's fair to say, as a squad picked by many to win the NBA's Eastern Conference enters Thursday as the No. 5 seed. With one more loss, the Celtics will be guaranteed their worst record since the 2015-16 season, when they lost in the first round.
But here's the catch with this group: The potential is still there. Kyrie Irving likes the Celtics' chances against anyone in the East, and if everyone is healthy -- they've missed Aron Baynes for big stretches and have had to be patient with Gordon Hayward as works back from ankle surgery -- it's not hard to see Boston making a deep playoff run.
To no one's surprise, Danny Ainge agrees.
"I feel like it's not as gloomy and doomy," Ainge said Thursday morning on 98.5 The Sports Hub's "Toucher & Rich" after the Celtics' 118-115 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers the night before. "I see a lot of really good things happening.
"Gordon was one of those things as he was starting to come back. I mean, his presence makes a difference. Baynes has been out a lot this year, and his presence makes a difference."
Boston Celtics
Ainge then made an interesting point:
"Statistically, in a lot of ways we're better than we were in our 53- and 55-win seasons of the last couple years. And I believe that we are. So, time will tell."
The Celtics' 2016-17 and 2017-18 teams finished first and second in the East's regular-season standings, respectively, and both reached the Eastern Conference Finals, overachieving despite a lack of firepower.
But Ainge is right: This C's squad, while on pace for a significantly worse record, does outperform those groups in several key metrics. The '18-'19 Celtics boast a 4.8 net rating, fifth in the NBA and the team's highest net rating since 2010-11. They're averaging more points per game (112.7), are shooting better from the field (46.5 percent), are playing at a higher pace (99.7 possessions per 48 minutes) and are committing fewer turnovers (11.6 turnover percentage) than each of the previous two seasons.
Of course, those numbers don't mean much when you blow double-digit leads to the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers in back-to-back games or lose to lowly clubs like the Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns.
But recent wins over the defending champion Golden State Warriors and pesky Sacramento Kings give us an idea of what Ainge is talking about: When things are going well, the Celtics can compete with (and beat) anybody.
We'll find out in just over two weeks if Boston can find the consistency to prove Ainge right.
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