Sixteen games into the 2020-21 season, the Boston Celtics are finally ready to make their season debut. The real one, that is: their first game with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker in the starting lineup together.
Reaching this point was always going to be difficult, but the Celtics’ road has been far bumpier than could have been reasonably anticipated. Walker’s absence was expected after getting a stem cell injection in his knee in the offseason; a week’s worth of COVID postponements and positive tests for Tatum and Robert Williams were not. We knew the wing depth would be tested with Gordon Hayward departed for the Hornets; Tacko Fall serving as backup center for a game was a surprise.