I would say the Celtics are playing as well as can be expected this season. Some games are better than others. Some (most, really) games they look like world beaters and others they make you wonder how on Earth they could have lost. But overall, they really shouldn’t be expected to play better. That’s not the secret.

It’s also not a secret that the NBA season is a grind. It’s not Major League Baseball, but 82 games with lots of travel all over the country and even into Canada squeezed into 6 months isn’t easy.. To expect teams to be at their best every game is just ridiculous. Teams and individual players will have ups and downs. If you get upset every time one of the downs happens, you really need to look at the big picture.

Now I’m going to let you in on the big secret. Ready? Regular season NBA games are meaningless. They really are. At least if you are a team with championship or bust goals. Like, oh, I don’t know, the Boston Celtics. Right now, 20 out of 30 NBA teams make the playoffs. That’s utterly ridiculous. Sure, 8 of those teams are in the play in, but it’s still the post-season. Unless you are one of the teams battling to squeek into the play in games, where every win helps, any individual game is meaningless. The only exception is if the losses start to pile up. Then the games start to matter. (See the 2023 Yankees). The fans and the media want the games to matter. They think certain games, particular match ups are big. They are big rivalries or big revenge games. But in reality, they aren’t.

Now, sometimes, a team will put an emphasis on a game. The Clippers said their game against the Celtics was a measuring stick game. The Celtics clearly did not feel the same and got bitch slapped. Does the fact that the Clippers destroyed the Celtics in a regular season game mean anything? Nope. Will it mean anything if they meet in the finals? Nope. Now, if a team beats another team multiple times in a season, and there aren’t mitigating circumstances, than it can, and usually does mean something. But one game? Meaningless.

And you know what? The players know this. It’s why they don’t get upset when they lose. Even in blowouts, the losing team will just be chilling on the bench. Maybe even laughing and joking around. It’s because the game doesn’t matter. They chalk it up to not being their night, and they move on. As the fans should.

The teams know this as well. This is why load management became a thing. Teams know risking a loss to keep you best guys fresh for the playoffs is worth it because any particular game does not matter. Having a healthy, rested team come playoff time does.

And don’t worry about playoff positioning and home court advantage. The teams don’t. Does every team want the number 1 seed? Yes. Do they want home court advantage in the playoffs? Yes. Do they really feel they need it? Nope. Do they need it to win a championship? Nope. Only 2 of the last 6 champions had the best record in their confrence. None of the teams they beat were the 1 seed from the other conference. Last season, the Heat were the 8th seed and made the Finals. Any NBA player will believe they can go on the road and win. Do they prefer to be at home? Of course. But at the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter to them or the results.

I understand talk shows and beat writers trying to make each game matter and trying to make a big deal out of special match ups. They have to talk/write about something. But just because they want it doesn’t make it so. Does it annoy me when the Celtics lose and certain local sports personalities try to make it seem like the end of the world. Yup. But I do understand why they do it.

On the other hand, I do not understand fans living and dying with each win and loss. When I watch a game, I want the Celtics to win. I root for them to win. I get excited when they make big shots or really nice plays. I am completely into the game. If they win, I am happy. It doesn’t make my day. I am not like, “Oh yeah, baby!! Here we go!! We rule!! Championship!!” Or anything like that. And if they lose…it’s “oh well, we’ll get ’em the next time.” And I move on with my life. It’s basically like every other tv show. You enjoy it while you are watching, and when it’s over, it’s over.

So just remember. If you are a fan of a really good NBA team, enjoy the games, but don’t try to read too much into any win or loss or any individual performance. Unless patterns start to form. That’s when the regular season has meaning.

P.S. this applies to the NHL and obviously Major League Baseball as well. The NFL? Well, they’re getting there.