In recent weeks, the Celtics have begun to start sitting players in preparation for the upcoming 2024 NBA playoffs, with head coach Joe Mazzulla and his staff coming up with creative ailments to assign their players on a nightly basis, before magically healing said ailments the next night, and then reverting back to them for (most likely) rest purposes.

The point being, several members of the Celtics’ rotation have missed time recently, including big men Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis, which has opened the door for backup center Luke Kornet to see some extended playing time down the stretch run of the season. That trend continued on Saturday in Chicago, as Kornet logged eight points and 13 rebounds in limited playing time vs the Bulls.

After the game, Kornet was asked how he is able to be such a tenacious presence on the glass, and his answer is sure to motivate the next generation of hoopers.

“Kids, just try hard,” said Kornet, per Celtics on NBC Sports Boston on X, the social media platform formerly referred to as Twitter.

Good effort, along with winning the genetic lottery and growing to be over seven feet tall, are indeed both very helpful for achieving success in the NBA.

The Celtics’ incredible depth

While their star power, led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, is impressive, perhaps the most noteworthy thing about this year’s Celtics is their depth, as Kornet, Payton Pritchard, Al Horford, and other members of their bench are capable of looking like legitimate starters on any given night.

That depth will be crucial when the NBA playoffs get underway, as the Celtics’ bench largely failed them throughout last year’s postseason, in which Boston faced more trouble than they should have in the first two rounds before bowing out to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.

There’s a very real chance that the Celtics will get a rematch with that Heat squad in the very first round this year, which might cause a bit of unease for Boston fans who still have fresh memories of the bloodbaths that have encapsulated the last two playoffs series between those two squads.

However, this year’s Celtics team, if the regular season is any indication (which is up for debate) is much less vulnerable for smart coaches like Erik Spoelstra to attack. Boston is no longer useless if their three pointers aren’t falling, as was largely the case last year. Furthermore, they replaced the loose cannon decision making of Marcus Smart with a much steadier presence in Jrue Holiday.

In any case, the main priority for Boston down the stretch of this regular season will be maintaining health.