As of Saturday afternoon, the Celtics magic number to clinch the top overall seed in the NBA is 7. Considering that there are still 16 games left on the schedule, that’s absurd. The team might have that wrapped up in a week.
Then when you look down the list of our opponents (Washington, Detroit, and Atlanta twice each for example) and I can’t help but wonder how many of those games are going to be at all serious contests.
There’s always a balance between rest and keeping guys fresh for the playoffs. Clearly any minor injury concerns are going to be treated with the utmost caution and care.