Now that Lebron James is out of the Eastern Conference, it needs a new representative for the NBA finals. And that is looking like it might be the Boston Celtics. But it doesn’t just stop there. The Boston Celtics are now the biggest threat to dethroning the Golden State Warriors as NBA Champions, and it’s not blasphemy at all. It has to do with both the other competition and the Celtics themselves.
The Warriors’ biggest threat from a year ago have taken a few steps backward and pulled themselves closer to the pack. And the Western Conference as a whole, although extremely competitive, is not as strong as you would initially think. Unless the Los Angeles Lakers can somehow acquire someone like a Kawhi Leonard, the toughest competition is a team that lost in seven games and lost two important players.
The Celtics, when healthy, are better than the Rockets. They went to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals without their two best players in Kyrie Irving (top-12 player in the league) and Gordon Hayward (top-15-20). They had mainly had a group of inexperienced youth carry the franchise to the cusp of a finals berth.
When everyone returns, the Celtics will have an embarrassment of riches on the team. General Manager Danny Ainge has assembled the perfect blend of elite young talent and good veteran players. They have both quality and quantity. Jayson Tatum showed that he is a special young talent and a star-in-the-making, averaging 16.4 points and 5.9 rebounds on 43.4% from three. That three-point accuracy is impressive for anyone, let alone a teenage rookie. And he upped his scoring averages in the playoffs when the lights were the brightest.
Jaylen Brown took a huge step forward in his second season, showing never judge a player on his rookie season. He averaged 14.5 points on 39.8% from three, while showing his defensive prowess. He has the makings of an excellent 3-&-D player.
Terry Rozier started in place of the injured Kyrie Irving and broke out in a big way. And now the Celtics potentially have the luxury of placing a guy who proved himself as a starter into the role of a 6th man. Al Horford is an All-Star big man that criminally goes under-the-radar. But his an all-around really good center.
Aaron Baynes is your typical bruiser down low that also serves as a strong interior defensive presence. He also happened to drill 11 f 23 three-point attempts in the playoffs. Marcus Morris is a guy who averaged 13.8 points in just over 26 minutes of play and has the ability to space the floor as a power forward.
This was the core group of players that finished second in the NBA in three-point shooting, as well as second in defensive rating. And now they are going two excellent players into the fold in Irving and Hayward. Guys that can shoot the ball very well and play defense (at least in Hayward’s case). It cannot go understated just how huge additions they are going to be.
A team that was just one game away from the finals is adding arguably the best offensive point guard and one of the best 3-&-D guys in the league. And combine that with continued improvement from the younger players and you have an elite squad that will win at least 55 games.
Not to mention, head coach Brad Stevens may be the new Gre Popovich and the best coach in the sport. His schemes are nearly unparalleled and creative as they get. He turned 5’9 Isaiah Thomas into an MVP-candidate, something the Kinds, Suns, Lakers, no Cavaliers have been able to replicate. And he did an excellent job at hiding IT on defense. It’s the perfect system.
They have the athletes on the perimeter to bother Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson. They have bruisers down-low that can hang with Draymond Green. They have the shooters to stay competitive. They have the coaching advantage, and they won one matchup by three and lost the other by four, even when they were not healthy. And this is all without Marcus Smart, who would bring more tough elite defense.
Combine that with some regression in the West, and you are looking at a squad that has the best chance to dethrone the reigning champs, and the odds of it happening are realistic.
