SUMMARY
- The Boston Celtics will be making their third straight Eastern Conference Finals appearance.
- The Celtics have a well-rounded roster that can pose a threat to other teams left in the playoffs.
The Boston Celtics have done it once again and it doesn’t seem like anybody can stop them moving forward into the playoffs. Things have been fairly competitive this season with certain underdogs taking a rise while superteams failed to show up. And besides the Denver Nuggets, the Celtics seem to be the only consistent powerhouses left in the post-season. This is going to be their third straight Eastern Conference Finals appearance in three years as well.
GOOD. NIGHT. pic.twitter.com/DR4oZUKRlS
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 16, 2024
Last season, the Miami Heat managed to dethrone the Celtics who made a title run the year before. However, making yet another ECF appearance and failing to push past that bracket is no longer an option for this Celtics team. They’ve assumed the top spot in the East this season, and falling short of a championship this year will only affect Jayson Tatum’s legacy and MVP case. So what’s next for the former Eastern Conference runner-ups?
The Celtics have a complete roster
Right now, the Celtics are arguably the favorites to win it all, and here’s why. They have a complete roster and there isn’t much room for error. Acquiring Kristaps Porzingis only made the team much stronger. After averaging 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game in the regular season, Porzingis went down with an injury in the first round. However, the trick was to acquire Porzingis and push former starters like Al Horford to the second unit. This has given the Celtics more depth to work with in case their starters fail to perform.
Big Al handled business in tonight’s @DraftKings Play of the Game 💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/un5knuzwg9
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 16, 2024
Additionally, they have players like Payton Pritchard coming off the bench to provide impactful minutes. Pritchard has proven to be a top-tier bench scorer averaging between 7 to 10 points per game with their second unit. Luka Kornet and Sam Hauser are other figures who have a great impact on both sides of the floor. As a team, the Celtics have players who score, defend, get hot from deep range, and facilitate in every unit. Not to forget, the Celtics’ bench had a 13.7 net rating during the regular season, the highest by a large margin.
Neither the Knicks nor the Pacers have a chance against the Celtics
The Celtics currently await the winner of the New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers series. When you look at the Knicks, they may not have a chance to survive against the Celtics solely due to the fact that half their players are injured. Julius Randle had a season-ending shoulder injury earlier. Mitchell Robinson endured an ankle injury that recently required surgery. And their best rebounder and defender, OG Anonuby has been out as well. Anunoby is expected to return if the Knicks reach the ECF, but he might not come back as strong as before.
This is a staggering data point. Clearly the #Knicks are better with OG and will want to pay big to keep him. BUT (huge “but”), all the games post trade he missed due to injury raises the question of can he stay healthy long enough to merit the bag? #NewYorkForever pic.twitter.com/CgjVKuxGxZ
— Joshua Robert (@JoshuaRobert56) May 13, 2024
With the Pacers, it’s all a matter of experience and how powerful their bench can be. Right now, they do have TJ McConnell and Obi Toppin coming off the bench averaging 10.3 and 11.7 points per game respectively. However, they’ve been able to produce better numbers against a weaker Knicks bench. Whereas, it would be the same against the Celtics. While the Pacers can match the Celtics’ offense, they are no matchup for what this Boston team can do on defense. This clearly shows that the Celtics can easily reach the finals.