The NBA All-Star weekend has officially passed, with teams now gearing up to finish the second half of the season strong.

For the Celtics, these next few weeks will tell us a lot about the team.

At 43-12, the C’s have taken a commanding six game lead in the Eastern Conference. The teams holds the league best ORTG (120.8), third best DRTG (110.5), and best net rating (10.3). On top of that, they also are sixth in 3 point percentage (38.0%) and lead the league in 3’s made (893). When the team is on top of their game, they are nearly unstoppable.

So why is the second half of the season so important?

Because we have seen this before with them.

Last season, the C’s entered post-All Star break with a first place lead in the East at 42-17. However, the team struggled down the stretch and allowed the Milwaukee Bucks to surge past them to take the No. 1 seed. The team never found their true groove in the playoffs largely from bad habits of playing down to their competition (i.e. Hawks series first round last year) and not closing games out.

After tonight’s matchup vs the Chicago Bulls, the C’s have a tough schedule ahead with games vs the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, and Phoenix Suns, all teams in the playoffs and playoff hunt.

While they do have a six game lead, the two seeded Cleveland Cavaliers are surging and winners of 18 of their last 20 games. The New York Knicks appear to be going all-in with their trade deadline acquisitions of O.G. Anunoby, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Alex Burks. The Milwaukee Bucks — who appear to be on the verge of a disaster, still have an elite duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, and can pose as a serious threat if they puzzle everything together. And let’s not count out the Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, and Miami Heat (especially Miami) of making late season playoff pushes.

No matter what the lead is in the East, the Celtics must capitalize on the opportunity of proving that they are indeed the best team in the league. They cannot afford to struggle down the stretch if they want to keep their high level of play going.

Winning these next few weeks against quality opponents will certainly help their place in the standings and also a boost in their confidence. Can they get revenge after a crushing 132-126 loss to the Golden State Warriors back in December? How about asserting their dominance on the reigning champion Denver Nuggets on Mar. 7? There is a lot to prove.

It will be a fun trip to the playoffs regardless. Here’s to hoping the Boston Celtics will be crowned NBA Champions in June and raising their 18th Banner in the TD Garden Rafters for the first time since 2008.