Boston Celtics tie best November record in franchise history
With a 14-2 record, the Celts turned out a record-setting month this past November, tying the record set by the 2007-08 Celtics, a team who's season was forgettable, and ended in a whimper. OK, that last bit was a lie, but if you didn't catch it, you're probably new here. That squad, as almost all of you are aware, hit the ground running despite massive roster turnover, and went on to not only win the team's record 17th banner, but created a tectonic shift in what was required to win championships in the NBA.The Celtics' 14 wins (14-2) in the month of November are tied for their most in the month of November in franchise history (14-2, 2008-09)— Celtics Stats (@celtics_stats) December 1, 2017
We may be witnessing such a thing now, as the fluid, wing-heavy defense I call "the thicket" currently gnashing passing lanes to tatters is creating huge headaches for the rest of the league, with youngsters Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum atop the league's defensive win shares on a team atop the league's standings. All this despite another bout of heavy roster turnover, too - and a gruesome accident that may have inadvertently rekindled the "Ubuntu" spirit in a team first shattered, then galvanized by Hayward's freak misfortune.
Could December produce another record-setting month? With matchups versus a surging Detroit Pistons squad, a San Antonio Spurs team that may see Kawhi Leonard return to their lineup, and a hyper-offensive Houston Rockets outfit tearing through opponent's defenses second only to the Golden State Warriors, there's just three games out of 17 the Celts might reasonably be expected to drop a game - four if you think the Milwaukee Bucks still fall into that category after cooling a bit after a hot start .On the Kawhi Leonard front: Pop says Leonard has begun some 5-on-5 work and has begun contact drills. He's on a visible path to return now.— Jeff McDonald (@JMcDonald_SAEN) November 27, 2017
The record for the franchise is held by both the 1961-62 and 1964-65 squads, who each played 17 games and only lost two. The 2008-09 team played 15 games and lost three in December, and the 1971-72 and 2010-11 teams played 14 games in December, and lost three too; a top-five franchise history is within reach, but only if the Cs do not drop games to lesser opponents, and/or beat at least one of the bigger fish in the December pond. What do you think? Could December follow November into the record books? Or will the high volume of games before the trip to London this January to play the Philadelphia 76ers cause the team to drop a game or three it shouldn't? Let us know in the comments below.
