The Boston Celtics enter the postseason as one team on a short list of true NBA Finals contenders. They’re more than capable of winning the organization’s long-awaited Banner 18 in June.
There are countless reasons behind it, but among them are Boston’s level of talent, depth, lineup versatility and a weak Western Conference.
Let’s start with the star power of potential All-NBA honorees Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Both would be deserving of their first- and second-team recognitions, respectively. Tatum is coming off a regular season in which he was the first Celtics player in history to average 30-plus points per game. And while he took a career-high in shots, he also recorded the best field-goal percentage since his rookie season, more than doubling his attempts from that campaign. Brown, who earned his second NBA All-Star appearance this season, also tallied career highs in points (26.6), field goal percentage (49.1%), rebounds and assists. The tandem, as Green Teamers are well-aware, are one of the best if not the best pairing in the league. If they’re locked in and at their best, they provide a 1-2 punch on both ends that many teams can’t duplicate.
Beyond Boston’s stars, though, is an unmatched depth. The emergence of backup guard Derrick White during the regular season was arguably the biggest development from last season to this one. White is in the running for an All-Defense honor after leading guards in blocked shots, and his newfound ability to stretch the floor is something Boston was without much of last year’s playoff run. If it weren’t for the incredible development from Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, White probably would have been in the conversation for the league’s Most Improved Player, too. He shot 38.1% from long range this season on nearly five attempts per game.
White is just one piece of that depth, however. The offseason addition of Malcolm Brogdon has allowed the Celtics to play a lot more small lineups this season, especially with the Robert Williams missing 47 games. Brogdon, a frontrunner for Sixth Man of the Year, gives the Celtics the ability to play more off the bounce as he serves as a floor general for the second unit.
There are some questions as to how first-year head coach Joe Mazzulla could mix and match lineups given how much depth the Celtics have. It’s going to be difficult to play only five players between Marcus Smart, Al Horford, Robert Williams, Tatum, Brown, White and Brogdon, among others. But with the depth in the backcourt, the Green have the ability to play small in the postseason like they did during a large chunk of the regular season. Boston, it’s worth recalling, was at its best during last year’s run when they went big and had Horford and Williams on the floor together. But they didn’t have Brogdon and White wasn’t nearly the same player. Sure, Williams simply elevates Boston to another dimension on the defensive end of the floor. But given that Boston will face Trae Young in the first round before potential matchups against Joel Embiid and/or Giannis Antetokounmpo, having chess pieces for different lineups is a good problem to have.
That level of depth and versatility has helped the C’s show they’re a balanced team on both offense and defense. Let’s not forget we’re talking about a team which concluded the regular season with the second-ranked offense and second-ranked defense along with the best net rating in the league. Only the Sacramento Kings have a better offensive rating (118.6) than the Celtics (117.3). And only the Cleveland Cavaliers (109.9) have a better defensive rating than Boston (110.6).
Additionally, there’s something to be said about Boston’s level of experience after coming up two games shy of the NBA championship last season. The Green earned a Game 7 win on their home floor in the conference semifinals and a Game 7 win on the road in the conference finals. Those experiences, in addition to six NBA Finals matchups, surely can only help the Celtics down the road this postseason. And it feels like the Western Conference isn’t as top-heavy as the East with a number of middlers jockeying for a title-series berth.
It’s right there for the Celtics.
