Would Celtics’ Season Be Failure Without NBA Finals Berth? Stephen A. Smith Explains

Stephen A. Smith long has been high on the Boston Celtics’ potential this season, even suggesting they have a chance to dethrone the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors.

An unstable four-game stretch in October isn’t going to change his opinion.

Smith put his foot down (again) Thursday on ESPN’s “First Take” and explained why he’s not concerned about Boston’s slow start to the 2018-19 season, even with fellow Eastern Conference contenders, like the Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks, performing well to open the new campaign.

That said, Smith believes this season will be a failure for the Celtics if they don’t reach the NBA Finals, as they’re loaded with talent now that Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward are healthy for a team that came within one win of reaching the championship last season.

In other words, things could be worse for the Celtics, who entered Thursday with a 2-2 record. It’s clear everyone’s still trying to get on the same page right now, but once Boston starts firing on all cylinders, the rest of the Eastern Conference might be in trouble.

It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish. And until Boston gives serious cause for concern, Smith will continue to beat the drum in anticipation of a Celtics vs. Warriors NBA Finals.