Why Stephen A. Smith Believes Celtics Are NBA’s Best Team Going Into Playoffs

The Celtics won’t enter the 2023 NBA playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they own the top spot in Stephen A. Smith’s latest league power ranking.

Smith on Tuesday morning tabbed Boston as the best team in the NBA, ahead of fellow powerhouses like the Bucks, Suns, 76ers and Nuggets. The “First Take” co-host can’t help but respect the Celtics’ success this season against top East rivals as well as their high-end depth.

“I know they’re the No. 2 seed in the East. I know they’re two games behind the Milwaukee Bucks,” Smith said on ESPN. “But I will remind you, they rolled into Milwaukee the other day and they were up by 46. They put it on them in Milwaukee, Wisc., OK? There’s still Jayson Tatum. It’s still Jaylen Brown, it’s still Derrick White, it’s still Malcolm Brogdon, it’s still Marcus Smart, it’s still Al Horford. We gotta hope that Robert Williams III will be healthy come playoff time because that’s what he’s playing for right now.

“You look at the Boston Celtics, they beat the Sixers all three times (before Tuesday) that they’ve gone against them. They’re 5-1 against the Sixers and the Milwaukee Bucks combined. In the end, the Boston Celtics — the reigning, defending Eastern Conference champions — are still the team to beat.”

Boston on Wednesday night locked itself into the East’s No. 2 seed with a home win over the Toronto Raptors. The Celtics’ first-round playoff opponent will be determined through the play-in tournament, which kicks off April 11 and runs through the 14th.

The C’s have two games left on their regular-season schedule, both at TD Garden. Boston will host Toronto again Friday before battling the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday afternoon.