NBA 2018-19: 3 key takeaways from the Boston Celtics' performance so far

Win-loss record: 20-14 (5th in East)

After losing to the Eastern Conference Champions Cleveland Cavaliers in the Conference Finals last season, the Boston Celtics came into this season with a lot of renewed hope. With Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward making their return to the team, everyone expected them to be a force to reckon with.

Some NBA pundits even went ahead and called them the team to beat in the East even with Kawhi Leonard being traded to the Toronto Raptors. However, that did not happen as the Celtics are currently under-performing and continue to figure out the right combination. In this article, we take a look at three key takeaways from the Boston Celtics' performance so far this season.

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#3 Celtics are still far from being true contenders in the playoffs

The Boston Celtics have a long way to go

On paper, the Celtics team looks like they are built to challenge any of the teams in the league. However, that has not been the case in reality as they are struggling to pick up wins against good teams.

Most of their wins in December came against weak teams that are not really contenders. With the amount of talent that they have and the kind of season that they are having, it is safe to say that the Celtics have not yet figured out the right combination.

Coach Brad Stevens was given the tough task of handling things with both Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward back in the starting lineup and he has struggled to hit a home run. The frequent changing of lineups is also affecting the players' performance and the Celtics might need to trade some of their young players if they want to make some noise in the playoffs this season.

#2 Jaylen Brown needs to get his act together

Jaylen Brown has been very inconsistent for the Celtics this season

After averaging mind-boggling numbers only in his second season in the NBA, everyone expected this to be a breakout season for Jaylen Brown. Howbeit, that did not happen as he is currently the most inconsistent player on the Celtics team.

Last season, Brown shot close to 40.0 % from the three-point line. In contrary, he is shooting just 27.0 % from behind the arc this year and is struggling to flow within the offense. He is forcing a lot of shots and is struggling to score at the rim.

Brown is looking pale on the defensive end of the game and if he can make use of his athleticism, he can be the kind of wing player everyone expected him to be this year. If he is struggling on offense, he needs to fall back on defense and contribute whatever he can without crumbling.

#1 Gordon Hayward has been the biggest disappointment for the team

Gordon Hayward has been moved to the bench

After the completion of 2016-17 NBA season, Gordon Hayward opted out of contract and became a free agent. The 28-year-old signed a 4-year, maximum deal of $128 million with the Boston Celtics.

On the opening night of the last season, Gordon Hayward suffered a season-ending leg injury just after minutes into his Celtics debut. After missing the entire season last year, Hayward made his much-anticipated return to NBA this season.

However, he did not look like the kind of player he was before the devastating injury and could not make an impact. He was subsequently relegated to the bench after starting in 16 games this season.

He is averaging only 10.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game this season on just 40.0 % shooting. He has been the biggest disappointment for the team so far this season. It is definitely not a pleasant sight to see one of the best modern-day young small forwards' career the way it is right now and one can only hope it all falls in line for Hayward.