The jury still is out on whether the Celtics are legitimate NBA Finals contenders, but a trip to the second round is well within Boston’s reach.
The C’s drew a favorable first-round opponent in the Indiana Pacers, who’ve steadily declined since Victor Oladipo sustained a season-ending injury in late January. Boston, meanwhile, started to come into its own during the back end of the regular season and managed to steal home-court advantage for Round 1 from Indiana.
The Pacers certainly aren’t going to let the Celtics walk all over them, but Colin Cowherd believes Kyrie Irving and Co. will claim the best-of-seven set in short order.
“Indiana is a great story, but once they lost Victor Oladipo, their ceiling got way low,” Cowherd said Thursday on FS1’s “The Herd. “They’re another team like the Clippers — they got here on effort. They bust their tail, they’re well-coached. But effort is not gonna win it for you in the playoffs, because those effort nights — you win 10-12 games just because you work harder — in the playoffs, everybody’s working hard. Celtics have won six of their last eight, including two against Indianapolis, and the Pacers did not play well down the stretch.
“Listen, people figured them out. After Victor got hurt, they played well for a month. People have figured out they struggle to get buckets. Indiana is all about defense, so some of these games will be ugly. But the Boston Celtics will win, probably in five.”
While less impactful than the Pacers’ major injury, it’s worth noting the Celtics will be dealing with a key absence of their own in Marcus Smart. The young guard was a staple in Boston’s starting five for the majority of the regular season, so it will be interesting to see how head coach Brad Stevens tweaks his lineup. And aside from tactics, there’s a chance Smart’s inactivity could have an effect on the Celtics’ chemistry.
So although Boston undoubtedly is the favorite, Indiana might hang around in the series longer than people think.
