NBA Scout Explains How Celtics Stack Up With Eastern Conference Contenders

It’s hard to argue with the results.

The Boston Celtics entered Wednesday with the best record in the Eastern Conference (11-2) thanks in large part to their efforts on both ends of the floor. The C’s rank in the top six in both offensive efficiency and defensive efficiency, which obviously is a testament to Boston’s highly skilled players and Brad Stevens’ coaching acumen.

But is the Celtics’ success sustainable? While Boston’s lineup is littered with knockdown shooters, unselfish ball-handlers and tenacious defenders, it also lacks size, especially compared to the lineups deployed by other Eastern Conference contenders, including the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors. It’s fair to wonder whether this could be an issue come playoff time.

“Would I favor them in a playoff series right now against Philly or Milwaukee? Maybe not,” one scout recently told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “You can focus on what they don’t have, but if you look at what they do, you see they present you a lot of problems. Who knows what the matchups will be or who will be healthy in the end.”

Maybe the Celtics will augment their roster in time and add some more size to a talented core currently comprised of Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward and Marcus Smart. Or maybe Boston will continue to rack up wins and stand pat, content on trying to beat its conference foes with offensive balance and defensive versatility.

Either way, the Celtics are exceeding expectations at the moment, and a refreshingly unselfish brand of basketball is at the forefront of Boston’s turnaround from an underwhelming 2018-19 season marred by chemistry issues.